Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes is garden fresh! You’ll find vegan pesto-covered pasta layered with marinated cherry tomatoes (+ extra veggies) in every bite. It’s a quick dinner that’s bursting with color, flavor, and fresh herbs.
The perfect clean-out-your-fridge dinner features plenty of vegetables in my mind. Pasta is a must, too!
It’s why this Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes is so special. It’s a refreshing and veggie-packed pasta tossed in my homemade pesto and topped with balsamic marinated cherry tomatoes and roasted vegetables. Add the toppings of your choice, from garlic butter to vegan parmesan, and enjoy!
The vegetables and how you prepare them are flexible, too. Keep them as-is or take it up a notch by roasting or firing them on the grill instead. It’s easy to make this pesto pasta recipe your own.
And if you need more easy pasta dinners you can turn to at any time during the week, check out my Spinach and Mushroom Pasta and Hummus Pasta recipes. You won’t be able to get enough!
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Ingredients and substitutions
Cherry tomatoes and roasted vegetables are on display in this easy pasta recipe. You also need:
- Pasta - Use any short or long pasta you like!
- Vegan pesto - Pesto is a blended herb sauce traditionally made from basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, salt, and olive oil. My homemade pesto skips the dairy and still tastes just like the classic. Feel free to use a storebought vegan pesto to keep things quick and easy.
- Cherry tomatoes - Marinating the tomatoes in balsamic vinegar, salt, and olive oil allows them to break down and soften before they’re topped on the pasta. It’s the method I use in my Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta, which too is bursting with garden-fresh and Italian-inspired flavors.
- Roasted vegetables - Zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic are roasted and piled on top of the pasta and tomatoes. They give the dish an extra boost of nutrition, color, and flavor of course!
How to make pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes
Step 1: Cook the pasta and make the pesto. Cook the pasta in boiling water according to the package directions. While you wait, make the pesto sauce.
Step 2: Marinate the tomatoes. Toss the cherry tomatoes in a bowl with olive oil, balsamic, and salt. Let them marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Step 3: Roast the vegetables. Lay the chopped vegetables in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle oil over top and toss to coat. Pop them in the oven and let them roast until they’re soft and tender.
Step 4: Assemble. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to a large bowl with the pesto, then toss them together. You can use some reserved pasta water to help thin the sauce and ensure every noodle is coated. From there, scoop the pasta onto plates and top each serving with some roasted vegetables and marinated tomatoes (with the juices). Enjoy! For full ingredients and instructions see printable recipe card below.
Topping ideas
You can uplevel the flavor here with extra toppings, like:
- Garlic butter
- Balsamic glaze
- Fresh basil
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Vegan ricotta cheese
- Crushed red chili flakes
How else can you use vegan pesto?
It’s a versatile sauce you can spread on a pizza, use as a dipping sauce, or use as a dressing for pasta salad. If you have extra homemade pesto to enjoy, try it with any of these recipes:
- Mixed into a vegan pasta salad.
- On top of tofu scramble.
- As a replacement for red pizza sauce.
- Mixed with tofu ricotta cheese.
- Baked into fresh bread.
- As a dipping sauce for roasted vegetables.
- Spread on veggie burgers.
Variations
- Mix up the roasted vegetables - You don’t have to stick to what’s in the recipe card. Instead, swap those vegetables with roasted carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and anything else you like.
- Grilled vegetables - Instead of roasting in the oven, grill the veggies in a grill basket on the barbecue. The same goes for the cherry tomatoes.
- Roasted cherry tomatoes - Lay the oil-coated tomatoes on a baking sheet. Roast in a 400ºF oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until they blister and release their juices. Stir the roasted tomatoes in a bowl with the marinade before topping them on the pasta.
Storing leftovers
While this dish is best enjoyed fresh, the assembled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days.
More quick and easy pasta dinners
Keep dinner stress-free with these easy and flavor-packed pasta recipes:
- Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta
- The Best Vegan Bolognese
Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
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Print
Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes is garden fresh! You’ll find vegan pesto-covered pasta layered with marinated cherry tomatoes (+ extra veggies) in every bite. It’s a quick dinner that’s bursting with color, flavor, and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
For pasta:
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1 cup vegan pesto, homemade or store bought
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12 oz dry pasta, any pasta like spaghetti, penne, linguini, etc,...(gluten free if needed)
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1 cup reserved pasta water if needed
Marinated tomatoes:
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1- lb (16 oz) cherry tomatoes, I use a rainbow variety
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1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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2 tablespoons olive oil
Vegetables:
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1 small-medium zucchini or yellow squash, chopped in bite size pieces
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1 bell pepper, any color chopped into bite size pieces
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1/2 lb (8 oz) cremini mushrooms, halved
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2 to 4 cloves of garlic, chopped (optional)
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2 tablespoons oil
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Pinch of salt and black pepper
See notes* for optional topping ideas for serving.
Instructions
- Pesto: First make pesto according to directions if using homemade. Pour into a large pasta serving bowl. Set aside.
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Tomatoes: In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover the bowl and let the tomatoes marinate while you prepare other ingredients, at least 20 minutes.
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Vegetables: Preheat oven to 400° Add the chopped vegetables to a parchment lined baking sheet and toss with the oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and garlic if using. Roast for 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm if needed.
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Pasta: When vegetables are almost finished cooking, bring a large pot of water with a couple of big pinches of salt and a drizzle of olive oil to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. You want it a little al dente.
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Toss and serve: Drain the pasta and add directly to pesto sauce. Toss it all together. Add some of the reserved pasta water if needed to thin the sauce and coat pasta. Plate right away, top each serving with the vegetables and tomatoes and their juices. Serve and enjoy! Season with salt and pepper if needed. See notes and above post for topping ideas and more.
Notes
Topping ideas (bring to the table):
- Garlic butter: 2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic, 3 to 4 tablespoons vegan butter, pinch of garlic powder and salt. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute. Drizzle over individual servings of plated pasta
- Balsamic glaze- yum!!!
- Vegan parmesan
- Crushed red chili flakes
Store: Store leftover pasta, veggies and tomatoes in separate airtight containers in the fridge. They will keep for 3-5 days.
Vegetables: to grill veggies instead of bake, add the prepared vegetables to a perforated grill basket and cook on your bbq over medium-high heat, tossing a few times until they’re cooked to your liking.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Category: Mains, Gluten free
- Method: Stovetop and oven
- Cuisine: Italian, American, Canadian
Keywords: pesto pasta, pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes, vegan pesto pasta
janice
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit. My whole family loved it. I only had roma tomatoes so I cut them into chunks which worked just fine. I also roasted them with the other veggies. I used Trader Joe's vegan pesto which is my favorite and added vegan parm and the garlic butter. AMAZING !!!
Verna
Sounds fabulous Janice! Thank you for your wonderful feedback it is so appreciated! 🙂 feel free to leave a star rating it is very helpful -no pressure though