A colorful rainbow of vegetables is arranged on a sheet pan and roasted with pesto to create a simple and flavorful meal or side dish in only 30 minutes! Prepare these roasted vegetables with pesto for your next party or weeknight meal.
Roasted vegetables are a quintessential side dish created and replicated in numerous ways. The most common and straightforward way is to chop the vegetables of your choice and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
But if you’re bored with the typical roasted vegetables, whip out your sheet pan, and get ready to enjoy a rainbow of vegetables seasoned with heavenly pesto for an absolute celebration of the senses.
The sweet and herbal pesto coats the red pepper, sweet potato, yellow squash, zucchini, and red onion, creating a caramelized finish with crispy golden brown edges.
The result is a visually stunning and flavorful side dish or main course that is delicious and packed with nutrients. This dish is perfect for adding a burst of color and flavor to any meal, and they are sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike.
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💗 Why You’ll Love Roasted Vegetables with Pesto
Vibrant Colors: The colorful variety of vegetables creates an appealing and visually striking dish that catches the eye.
Rich Flavor: Roasting the vegetables caramelizes their natural sugars, enhancing flavor and creating a rich taste.
Customizable: You can customize the vegetables and pesto to suit your taste preferences or dietary restrictions. It can be served as a side dish, added to salads, pasta, and sandwiches, or enjoyed as a main course.
Plant-Based and Vegan: This recipe is entirely plant-based and gluten-free, making it suitable for various dietary preferences.
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Rainbow of Vegetables: Red bell pepper, sweet potato, yellow squash, zucchini, and red onion create a colorful rainbow of vegetables.
Spices and Seasonings: The vegetables are drizzled with olive and tossed with oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Pesto Sauce: Use store-bought pesto sauce, or make your own using my favorite cashew pesto recipe. Ingredients needed for the pesto include cashews or pinenuts, fresh basil, spinach, arugula, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Chickpeas (optional): Provides a nice crisp topping to the roasted pesto vegetables.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
Add Chickpeas: Incorporate some protein into this dish by adding a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas. Season with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Use Different Veggies: You can substitute any vegetables you like, but if you want a wide range of colors, consider the colors of the veggies. You could use yellow pepper instead of yellow squash, tomatoes instead of red bell pepper, or carrots instead of sweet potato. Feel free to be creative.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Roasted Vegetables with Pesto
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add the sliced red pepper, peeled and sliced sweet potato, sliced zucchini, cubed yellow squash, and sliced red onion to the sheet pan in a single layer. If you have too many vegetables, then use two sheet pans. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with dried oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Roast veggies in the oven for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
- After the vegetables have been roasting for 15 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven, drizzle the pesto on top, and toss to evenly coat.
- Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast for 5 minutes or until the roasted vegetables are crispy and golden brown. Top with a bit of lemon juice to bring all the flavors together. Serve and enjoy!
📝 Alison’s Tips for Perfectly Roasted Vegetables
- Cut your vegetables into similar sizes to ensure even cooking. This helps in achieving uniform crispiness.
- To remove excess moisture, pat the vegetables dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. This prevents steaming and helps crispen up the edges.
- Roast your vegetables at a high temperature, around 400-450°F (200-230°C). This helps caramelize the sugars on the surface and create a crispy texture.
- Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as olive, avocado, or grapeseed oil, to withstand high temperatures without burning.
- Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Overcrowding can lead to steaming instead of roasting, which results in soggy vegetables.
❓ FAQS
Several vegetables pair well with pesto, complementing its rich, herbal flavors. Roasted or sautéed cherry tomatoes add a burst of sweetness. Sliced zucchini adds a mild flavor and pleasant texture when paired with pesto. Roasted bell peppers add a sweet and smoky flavor that complements the herbaceousness of the pesto. Asparagus adds a fresh, earthy flavor. Roasted broccoli has a slightly nutty flavor that works well with the rich flavors of pesto.
Yes, you can roast vegetables without oil! While oil can add flavor and help vegetables brown and crisp up, it’s not strictly necessary for roasting. Try dry roasting. Season them with your favorite herbs, spices, and a little salt. Roast in a preheated oven until they are tender and slightly browned. Try using vegetable broth. his adds flavor and helps them to brown. You can also use citrus juice, such as lemon or lime juice, to add flavor and moisture to your vegetables before roasting. While water won’t add flavor, it can help to steam the vegetables slightly, making them tender.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Make It A Meal: Serve on top of steamed rice with roasted pesto chickpeas for a complete meal.
Side Dish: Prepare these rainbow-roasted vegetables with pesto as a side dish for a dinner party. It pairs nicely with other Italian-flavored dishes like vegan bolognese or vegan mushroom carbonara.
🫙 Storage
Fridge: Allow the roasted vegetables to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: When ready to reheat, transfer to an air fryer or dry saute pan to return the vegetables to a crispy finish.
😋 More Easy Sheet Pan Recipes!
Recipe
Roasted Vegetables with Peso
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow squash
- 1 zucchini
- 1 red onion
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounces chickpeas drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add the sliced red pepper, peeled and sliced sweet potato, sliced zucchini, cubed yellow squash, and sliced red onion to the sheet pan in a single layer. If you have too many vegetables, then use two sheet pans. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with dried oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Roast veggies in the oven for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. After the vegetables have been roasting for 15 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven, drizzle the pesto on top, and toss to evenly coat. (If using the chickpeas, add them to the roasting pan with the pesto.)
- Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast for 5 minutes or until the roasted vegetables are crispy and golden brown. Top with a bit of lemon juice to bring all the flavors together. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
-
- Cut your vegetables into similar sizes to ensure even cooking. This helps in achieving uniform crispiness.
-
- To remove excess moisture, pat the vegetables dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. This prevents steaming and helps crispen up the edges.
-
- Roast your vegetables at a high temperature, around 400-450°F (200-230°C). This helps caramelize the sugars on the surface and create a crispy texture.
-
- Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as olive, avocado, or grapeseed oil, to withstand high temperatures without burning.
-
- Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Overcrowding can lead to steaming instead of roasting, which results in soggy vegetables.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer or on a dry skillet to make the vegetables crispy again.
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