Vegetable Pesto Pasta

Vegetable Pesto Pasta is a wonderful way to eat your vegetables. Simple to put together or make ahead, this dish uses a variety of seasonal vegetables no matter what time of year you make it. Prepare a batch or two of our basil pesto in the height of the summer and fall season and then freeze half a dozen small containers to use anytime of the year. When the kids were all growing up I would make some kind of pasta or Italian dish on Monday’s. It’s how I organized my week so not to worry about “what was going to be for dinner”.  Having pesto in the freezer was a great way to make this dinner quickly.

Monday night dinner was the perfect day of the week to be able to use up all my vegetables since Tuesday was my Farmers Market shop day.  Both the pesto and vegetables are loaded with tons of nutrition.  Most vegetables offer a wonderful array of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, as do the basil and cilantro which is in our pesto. Sometimes it’s a challenge to reach the minimum daily requirement of 9 cups of vegetables per day. Eating Vegetable Pesto Pasta is an easy way to achieve that goal.

Not eating pasta? Or your dairy free?  No worries! Below we offer alternatives whether you are Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, grain free or dairy free! And if you would prefer an alternative to rice try our Pesto Risotto or Pesto Pizza recipes.

Vegetable Pesto Pasta Ingredients

Serves 4-6

2-3 Cups Gluten Free Pasta: Our favorites are: Brown Rice: Jovial, Tinkyada, OR Grain Free: Explore Asia Black Bean Pasta OR

Paleo; Zucchini zoodles or ribbons.

2-4 Cups seasonal vegetables, cut in bit size: broccoli, sugar snaps, asparagus, eggplant, mushrooms

1 Cup CGK Pesto

1/2-1 C Pecorino Romano finely grated for topping

Olive oil for sautéing.

Fun additions; Handful or 1/2 C arugula or spinach leaves

Variation: OMIT cheese if on our Cleansing with Food Program and use Nutritional Yeast for a dairy free option. Clean Pesto is dairy free.

Vegetable Pesto Pasta Method:

  1. Make our pesto sauce ahead of time and freeze. Take out from the freezer ahead of time or let rest in hot water to thaw before using.
  2. Boil your favorite gluten free pasta:
  3. While the noodles are cooking for a quick stove-top pesto pasta versionblanch broccoli and sugar snaps, or saute some mushrooms and zucchini in olive oil. You can also add some yummy fresh fava beans or borlotti beans, diced chicken, shrimp or sardines.
  4. For Baked Vegetable Pesto Pasta, add the blanched or sautéed vegetables to your drained cooked pasta. Save a little liquid from the pasta which helps distribute the pesto better. Mix the pesto, vegetables and cheese on top our throughout the pasta, if using.
  5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
  6. Serve with our House salad or Caesar salad and garlic bread.
Jovial’s gluten free organic Tagliatelle egg noodles pictured

Zucchini Ribbons for Pesto Pasta. Great Paleo option!

Black Bean Pasta makes for a great grain free option! We love it!
Add shrimp or chicken to pesto pasta. Explore Asia’s red bean pasta noodles pictured.
Zucchini zoodles with Clean Pesto and sardines. Totally YUM!
More Paleo and Grain free Pesto Zoodles with Roasted Beet Salad.
One comment on "Vegetable Pesto Pasta"
  1. Curry Girls Kitchen – Homemade Pesto October 10, 2014

    […] Other ideas for Pesto go to ~ https://currygirlskitchen.com/green-pesto-pasta/ […]

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