Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Veggies
This easy Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Veggies is the perfect healthy and delicious weeknight dinner that comes together in 30 minutes or less.
If you love basil pesto as much as I do, something tells me you may love sun-dried tomato pesto too. This is a great option when you still want pesto, but basil isn’t in season.
All you need to make this sun-dried tomato pesto pasta with veggies is a box of pasta, one or two vegetables, and a blender to make your pesto. Oh, and this punchy sun-dried tomato pesto recipe goes beyond just pasta. You’re going to want to eat it on everything!
Here’s what you need to make it:
Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Ingredients:
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts (or sunflower seeds)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper each
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (optional, for some heat)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
How to Make Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Veggies:
This recipe is super easy! Start by salting your pasta water and cooking the pasta (I like to use a short noodle like penne, rotini or fusili) according to packages directions. When you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, we’ll use this later.
While you wait for the pasta, make the sun-dried tomato pesto. Add half of the sun-dried tomatoes, the walnuts, parmesan, garlic, and spices to a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse several times until everything is broken up but the mixture is still textured. Add remaining sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil and blend or process until almost smooth. There will still be some texture to the pesto.
Next, dice up your veggies (this recipe calls for bell pepper and mushrooms, but feel free to use what you have on hand). Then warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Add a minced clove of garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add the diced veggies and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Reduce heat, and add your drained pasta to the pan with the veggies. Stir in about 1/2 cup of the pesto (or more or less to your liking) along with 1/4 cup of pasta water. Stir everything together until pasta and veggies are well-coated with pesto.
Garnish with fresh basil or parsley (optional) and serve with extra parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers:
If you have leftover pasta, you can store it covered in the fridge up to 4 days. Then, just reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stove when you’re ready.
You will likely have some leftover pesto, too. I recommend storing this in a mason jar or other airtight container. You can use this for future pasta dishes, or on other dishes like pizza, sandwiches and wraps, on crackers, and more.
Other Vegetables You Can Use in this Pesto Pasta with Veggies:
Instead of yellow bell peppers and mushrooms in this pasta dish, you can also use:
- Red, orange or green bell peppers
- Finely chopped broccoli
- Diced red onion
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Baby spinach or chopped kale
- Diced zucchini
More Easy and Delicious Pasta Recipes:
- Creamy Sun-dried Tomato and Kale Pasta
- Pumpkin Sage Pasta with Spinach
- Easy Spaghetti Lentil “Bolognese”
- Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta
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Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Veggies
Ingredients
For the Sun-dried Tomato Pesto:
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes , packed in oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts, or sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, each
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, optional
- 1/2 cup olive oil
For the Pasta:
- 375 grams pasta like rotini, fusili or penne
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, diced
- parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
- chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Salt pasta water and cook pasta according to package directions. When you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water as we'll use this later.
- Make the sun-dried tomato pesto. Add half of the sun-dried tomatoes, the walnuts, parmesan, garlic, and spices to a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse several times until everything is broken up but the mixture is still textured. Add remaining sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil and blend or process until almost smooth. There will still be some texture to the pesto.
- Then warm olive oil in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add the diced veggies and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Reduce heat, and drained pasta to the pan with the veggies. Stir in about 1/2 cup of the pesto (or more or less to your liking) along with 1/4 cup of pasta water. Mix everything together until pasta and veggies are well-coated with pesto.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley (optional) and serve with extra parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
