Pesto Veggie Pasta is a simple and flavorful 30-minute meal that’s packed with vegetables! Amp up the protein with chickpea pasta, and you’ve got a gluten-free meal for the whole family!
Pasta is always a hit when it comes to family meals. However, pasta dishes get a bad rap as being unhealthy because of the white carbohydrates. But you can make pasta a healthy and nutrient-rich meal by making a simple substitution.
Using chickpea or lentil pasta provides added protein, and makes your pasta whole food plant-based. I find that chickpea pasta has a more neutral flavor than lentil pasta, and my kids have no trouble eating it up!
Coated in a simple homemade pesto sauce made with basil, arugula, and cashews, and tossed with zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and cherry tomatoes, this veggie pesto pasta is a complete meal for the whole family! It tastes like summer in every bite!
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Vegan and Vegetarian Friendly
- Gluten-Free Option
- 30 Minute Meal
- Family Friendly
- Loaded With Veggies
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Penne Pasta: Feel free to use any type of penne pasta you and your family prefer. For a whole grain option, try using whole-wheat pasta. Or for a protein-rich option, use chickpea or lentil pasta. Use brown rice pasta as another gluten free option. If your family isn’t a fan of either of those options, then go ahead and use regular penne pasta. I recommend using chickpea pasta.
Vegetables: You can use any of your favorite vegetables in this recipe. However, I find that zucchini, and yellow squash work really well! They are sturdy, and take on the flavor of the pesto sauce. Plus they are full of vitamins and minerals. Red pepper, and cherry tomatoes add a bright sweet flavor that compliments the basil in the pesto.
Cashew Pesto: I use a simple cashew pesto sauce recipe for this veggie pasta. It’s made with fresh basil, arugula, cashews, garlic, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. It comes together quickly in the food processor.
📋 Instructions
Prep the Pasta: Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta, and cook until al denté. Dain, and set aside.
Prepare the Vegetables: While the pasta is cooking, chop the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and cherry tomatoes.
Cook the Vegetables: Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray. Add the red pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat or until vegetables soften.
Prepare the Pesto Sauce: In a food processor, add the arugula, basil, cashews, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Stop a few times to scrape the sides of the canister, and pulse again until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Toss It All Together: Drain the pasta, and place it back in the pot. Add the pesto sauce and toss to coat. Add in the sautéd vegetables, and toss again until evenly combined.
Add the Cherry Tomatoes: Cut the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. Add to the pasta. Serve warm and enjoy!
❓ Recipe FAQS
Pesto pairs nicely with fresh summer vegetables like zucchini and yellow squash. It also pairs well with ripe juicy tomatoes. Prepare a simple tomato salad, or a leafy green salad to serve on the side of this dish.
Store bought pesto is usually made with added parmesan cheese. This means that it is vegetarian but not vegan. For a vegan pesto sauce, make your own at home without adding parmesan, or look for a store bought version that does not use added dairy.
Pesto sauce is usually made with basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper. The basil is fresh and delicious and offers quite a lot of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, magnesium, and more. However, because standard pesto sauces are made with a lot of olive oil, and added cheese it can be high in fat and calories. My version, however, does not have added cheese which makes it vegan friendly, and uses less oil, which reduces the overall fat and calories in each serving.
Feel free to add any of your favorite vegetables. Sturdy vegetables work best such as broccoli, cauliflower, red onion and bell peppers. A pinch of fresh lemon juice adds a nice acidity.
💭 Expert Tips
- For a creamier sauce, reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water, and add to the pasta and pesto sauce to help the sauce evenly coat the pasta.
- Use chickpea, lentil, or brown rice gluten-free pasta.
- Sprinkle with nutritional yeast to get an umami flavor similar to parmesan cheese.
- If you don’t have cashews you can substitue them for walnuts or pine nuts.
- For a roasted flavor, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and add the chopped vegetables. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 F.
👩🏻🍳 How to Serve
This is a complete meal as is when prepared with a legume pasta. However, if you’re not using chickpea or lentil pasta, then you can add air fryer tofu for extra protein! Or top with chopped walnuts or cashews. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for a spicy addition. Serve with a simple Italian tomato salad on the side.
❄️ How to Store and Keep
Transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold and enjoy as a pasta salad, or reheat to your desired temperature.
😋 More Vegan Pasta Recipes
If you made this recipe, please comment below and leave a ⭐️ rating. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more family-friendly vegan recipes!
Recipe
Pesto Veggie Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz penne pasta chickpea past for gluten-free
- 1 zucchini
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow squash
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes cut in half lenghtwise
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- olive oil cooking spray
Cashew Pesto Sauce
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup arugula
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prep the Pasta: Prepare the pasta according to package directions.
- Prepare the Vegetables: While the pasta is cooking, chop the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and cherry tomatoes.
- Cook the Vegetables: Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray. Add the red pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat or until vegetables soften.
- Prepare the Pesto Sauce: In a food processor, add the arugula, basil, cashews, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy. Stop a few times to scrape the sides, and the process again until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Toss It All Together: Drain the pasta, and place it back in the pot. Add the pesto sauce and toss to coat. Add in the sautéd vegetables, and toss again until evenly combined.
- Add the Cherry Tomatoes: Cut the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. Add to the pasta. Serve warm and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- For a creamier sauce, reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water, and add to the pasta and pesto sauce to help the sauce evenly coat the pasta.
- Use chickpea, lentil, or brown rice gluten-free pasta.
- Sprinkle with nutritional yeast to get an umami flavor similar to parmesan cheese.
- If you don’t have cashews you can substitute them for walnuts or pine nuts.
- For a roasted flavor, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and add the chopped vegetables. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 F.
- Transfer to a an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold as form of pasta salad, or reheat to your desired temperature.
Gina Abernathy
Pasta has my name written all over it! A great recipe to use all of my garden veggies–tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and peppers.
Natalie
I can never get enough pasta recipes. My kids favorite meal, as all kids I presume, LOL. They loved your veggie pasta, thanks!
Ieva
Yum! Your arugula and cashew pesto is absolutely divine! We added garden peas instead of zucchini, as we didn’t have any, and it worked very well too! Brilliant recipe! Would definitely recommend making it!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
This looks so easy and delicious and I love the idea of cashew pesto!
Beth
Pesto pasta is my kids’ favorite dinner! Loving all these healthy veg you’ve packed into it too!