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Roasted Veggie Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Parmesan

Cherry tomatoes roasted with garlic, onion, courgette and peppers, then tossed with pasta, pesto and cream — an easy, meat-free meal where the oven does most of the work.

A square overhead image of roasted vegetable pesto pasta topped with some small basil leaves and roasted pine nuts, on a light blue plate, which is placed on a larger dark blue plate. There is a silver fork sticking out of the pasta. In the top left corner of the image, you can see the corner of a light blue dish with more roasted vegetable pesto pasta. There are some roasted pine nuts scattered around the background, which is grey.

I love loading my pasta with vegetables — they soak up the sauce and add great texture. The mix of creamy, garlicky pesto and tangy Parmesan creates a comforting flavour combination that’s hard to resist. This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights because the oven does most of the work.

Roasting concentrates the vegetables’ flavours and makes a rich sauce once combined with the cornflour, cream and pesto.

Table of Contents

  • 📋 Ingredients
  • 📺 Watch how to make it
  • Pro Tip
  • 🍽️ What to serve it with
  • 🍲 More fantastic Meat-Free Pasta recipes
  • Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta Recipe

📋 Ingredients

The ingredients of Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta laid out on a wooden cutting board, which is on a wooden surface. The ingredients are labelled in white text. They are as follows: tomatoes, courgette, peppers, garlic, oil, cream, pasta, onion, pesto, salt, pepper, paprika, and cornflour.

Pesto – Use store-bought or homemade pesto, whichever you prefer.

Pasta – Any pasta shape works; cook according to the packet instructions.

📺 Watch how to make it

Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card below.

  1. Place tomatoes, cornflour and seasonings in a large roasting dish and toss to coat.
  2. Add garlic, onion, courgette and peppers, drizzle with olive oil and mix until everything is well coated.
  3. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are golden and starting to caramelise.
  4. Meanwhile, cook and drain the pasta according to the packet directions.
  5. When the vegetables are done, stir in the pesto and cream, return to the oven for a couple of minutes to heat through.
  6. Toss the roasted vegetables and sauce with the pasta and serve.

Pro Tip

Coating the tomatoes with cornflour helps convert the liquid they release while roasting into a thicker, flavourful sauce. That sauce, when combined with cream and pesto, coats the pasta beautifully.

These vibrant roasted vegetables absorb the sauce and add great colour and texture.

A very close-up tall image of roasted vegetable pesto pasta topped with toasted pine nuts, and a few small basil leaves. This is in a light grey bowl. The pasta an the bowl fill the whole image, so nothing else can be seen.

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🍽️ What to serve it with

  • Easy garlic bread or crusty bread.
  • A simple green salad with vinaigrette for freshness.
  • For a non-vegetarian option, add slices of roast or rotisserie chicken.

The fresh basil adds brightness, and toasted pine nuts bring a lovely crunch to the creamy sauce.

A tall, overhead image of roasted vegetable pesto pasta, topped with small basil leaves, and some toasted pine nuts, in a light blue/grey bowl, with a silver fork sticking out of the pasta. On the top right of the image, there is a glass of water with ice, on the top left there are a few medium-sized basil leaves scattered around. On the bottom right there is a small black dish of toasted pine nuts, with more toasted pine nuts scattered around. On the bottom left, there is a teal/green napkin. This is all placed on a grey background.

🍲 More fantastic Meat-Free Pasta recipes

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A square overhead image of roasted vegetable pesto pasta topped with some small basil leaves and roasted pine nuts, on a light blue plate, which is placed on a larger dark blue plate. There is a silver fork sticking out of the pasta. In the top left corner of the image, you can see the corner of a light blue dish with more roasted vegetable pesto pasta. There are some roasted pine nuts scattered around the background, which is grey.
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Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta

By Nicky Corbishley
Cherry tomatoes roasted with garlic, onion, courgette and peppers, then tossed with pasta, pesto and cream — an easy, meat-free meal where the oven does most of the work.
Prep Time:10 mins
Cook Time:30 mins
Total Time:40 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 300 g (10.5 oz) cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch in US)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 red onion, peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks
  • 1 courgette (zucchini), chopped into bite-size chunks
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 yellow pepper, sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 400 g (14 oz) pasta shapes (such as spiralli)
  • 3 tbsp pesto
  • 4 tbsp double (heavy) cream

To Serve:

  • a small bunch of basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas mark 6.
  • Place the tomatoes in a large roasting dish. Sprinkle over the cornflour, salt, pepper and paprika and toss until the tomatoes absorb the cornflour.
  • Add the garlic, red onion, courgette and peppers to the dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat thoroughly.
  • Roast for 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are golden brown.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain.
  • When the vegetables are golden, remove from the oven and stir in the pesto and cream. Return to the oven for a final 2 minutes to heat through.
  • Remove the roasting dish from the oven, add the cooked pasta and toss to coat in the sauce.
  • Divide among bowls and top with fresh basil, grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Notes

Can I make it ahead?

This is best served fresh, but leftovers can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat in the microwave, stirring occasionally; add a splash of water, stock or cream if needed to loosen the sauce, and ensure it is piping hot throughout.

Can I freeze it?

Freezing is not recommended; the vegetables can become mushy after defrosting.

Ingredient swaps

  • Swap or add vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, butternut squash or sweet potato (add with the other vegetables).
  • Add frozen peas or canned/frozen sweetcorn towards the end of cooking.
  • Stir in baby spinach or watercress at the end to wilt into the sauce.
  • Use your favourite pasta shape — follow packet cooking times.

Make it Vegetarian

To make this fully vegetarian, use vegetarian pesto and a vegetarian hard Italian-style cheese instead of Parmesan.

Scaling

Double the recipe for a crowd or halve it for two people, keeping the same ratios.

Nutrition

Calories: 583 kcal | Carbohydrates: 88 g | Protein: 16 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Fiber: 6 g

Nutrition information is approximate and should be used as a guide only.

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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