Vegetable pesto pasta is a simple vegetarian dish which combines pesto pasta with lemon and lightly cooked seasonal vegetables.
It can be prepared and cooked in a little over half an hour making it ideal for busy days or for when you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen.
Similar to summer vegetable quiche this vegetarian pasta dish makes use of seasonal produce and can be adapted to make use of whatever vegetables you have to hand.
It is great served on its own or with a leafy green salad. It is also perfect paired with olive bread, focaccia or rosemary and olive tear and share rolls.
The quantities in this easy pasta recipe are sufficient for two servings but can easily be increased to prepare a larger amount if needed.
Ingredients
- 170g pasta - rigatoni is ideal for this recipe as the ridges help to coat the pasta with the pesto but you could use penne pasta or pasta twists if that is what you have in your cupboard.
- 5 teaspoons vegetarian basil pesto - you can use either homemade pesto or a good quality store-bought pesto. If you are using ready made pesto check the ingredients to make sure that it is vegetarian pesto.
- 1 medium red onion - red onion is my favourite for most pasta dishes but you could use other types of onion if you prefer.
- 5 cloves garlic - use fresh garlic, finely chopped or crushed.
- A selection of quick cooking vegetables - such as red pepper, green pepper, courgette, mushrooms, aubergine, cherry tomatoes. Ideally choose a variety of colours.
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon - ideally use an organic unwaxed lemon. If you are using a waxed lemon lightly scrub the lemon before zesting.
- Olive oil - ideally use extra virgen olive oil for maximum flavour.
- Approx 1 tablespoon grated cheese - a strong flavoured vegetarian cheese such as vintage Cheddar is perfect for this recipe.
Equipment needed
No specialist equipment is needed for this pasta recipe but the following are likely to be useful:
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Garlic press (optional)
- Roasting tin or frying pan
- Zester or grater for the lemon
- Juicer for the lemon
- Large saucepan with lid to cook the pasta
- Colander to drain the pasta
How to make vegetable pesto pasta
First, finely chop the onion and either finely chop or crush the garlic. Slice the courgettes, cut the peppers into chunks and peel and cut the mushrooms into halves or quarters depending on their size.
Lightly roast the onion, garlic, courgettes, peppers and mushrooms in a little olive oil until just starting to soften. Alternatively, you could lightly cook the vegetables in a frying pan or skillet.
While the vegetables are cooking bring a large pan of water to the boil. Cook the pasta for the time stated on the packet or until it is al dente.
Drain the pasta and stir in a little olive oil, return to the pan and cover with the lid to keep it warm.
Zest and juice the lemon, add to the cooked pasta and stir.
Add around 5 teaspoons pesto to the lemon pasta and stir until all the pasta is coated with the pesto.
Add the cooked vegetables to the pan with the pasta, lemon and pesto, and toss taking care not to break up the vegetables.
Place the pan over a low heat for a couple of minutes or so, stirring to prevent the pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add a little water if needed.
Serve immediately in hot bowls with a little grated cheese sprinkled over the top.
How to serve
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as basil or parsley.
- Serve either on its own or with a leafy green salad.
- This pesto pasta dish is also great paired with homemade olive bread or focaccia.
Tips
- This dish should be served straight away. It is not suitable for reheating or freezing.
- The vegetables can be cooked ahead of time to make it even quicker to prepare this meal.
- You can make many variations of this easy vegetable pasta dish by using different combinations of vegetables and different pasta shapes.
- If you would like to add extra protein add a handful of pine nuts before serving.
FAQs
Pesto, or pesto alla genovese, is an Italian sauce typically made using basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, grated hard cheese and salt. It is a popular accompaniment to pasta dishes but can also be used in other recipes such as speciality filled breads.
Quick cooking vegetables such as onion, garlic, peppers, courgette (zucchini), aubergine (egg plant), and mushrooms are perfect for this recipe. Lightly steamed asparagus or a handful of olives could also be added.
Other vegetarian pasta recipes
- Cheese and spinach cannelloni2 Hours 18 Minutes
- Vegetarian minestrone soup1 Hours 5 Minutes
- Broccoli and tomato pasta45 Minutes
Other summer recipes
- Broccoli and blue cheese risotto50 Minutes
- Summer vegetable quiche2 Hours
- Spanakopita spiral (spinach and feta tart)1 Hours 25 Minutes
- Red pepper quiche1 Hours 10 Minutes
Vegetable pesto pasta
Equipment
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Garlic press (optional)
- Roasting tin
- Zester or grater
- Juicer
- Large saucepan with lid
- Colander
Ingredients
- 170 g rigatoni or penne pasta
- 5 tsps pesto
- 1 red onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 0.5 red pepper
- 0.5 green pepper
- 0.5 courgette
- 4 mushrooms
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon strong vegetarian cheese
Instructions
- Chop the onion and finely chop or crush the garlic.
- Cut the peppers into chunks, slice the courgette and peel and quarter the mushrooms (plus prepare any other vegetables you are using).
- Lightly roast the onion, garlic, peppers, courgette and mushrooms (plus any other vegetables you are using). Alternatively, lightly cook the vegetables in a frying pan or skillet.
- While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain the pasta, stir in a little olive oil, return to the pan and cover with a lid.
- Zest and juice the lemon, add to the pasta and stir.
- Stir the pesto into the pasta until the pasta is fully coated.
- Add the roast vegetables to the pasta and toss taking care not to break up the vegetables. Add a little water if needed.
- Place the pan over a low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring to prevent the pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Serve in hot bowls and top with grated cheese.
Notes
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as basil or parsley.
- Serve either on its own or with a leafy green salad.
- This pesto pasta dish is also great paired with homemade olive bread or focaccia.
- This dish should be served straight away. It is not suitable for reheating or freezing.
- The vegetables can be cooked ahead of time to make it even quicker to prepare this meal.
- You can make many variations of this easy vegetable pasta dish by using different combinations of vegetables and different pasta shapes. Why not try adding a few stems of steamed asparagus or a handful of olives?
Leave a Reply