Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad with Roasted Veggies

This flavorful pesto pasta salad with roasted veggies is a delicious summer dish to serve warm or cold! Made with a simple walnut pesto, and bulked up with a rainbow of roasted veggies.

Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta salads are always a go-to during the summer, or really any time of year. They’re easy to make, customizable, and can be served warm or cold.

The roasted veggies in this recipe add a delicious sweetness, and bulk up the pasta with added flavor and fiber.

It’s the perfect dish to prep at the beginning of the week for a simple, nutritious meal prep.

You can serve this recipe as a side dish or as a main. If you wanted to add a bit more protein to this dish, you can use a bean based pasta for a boost of protein and fiber.

Walnut Pesto

The homemade walnut pesto comes together in less than 10 minutes. The walnuts give a delicious rich flavor which pairs perfectly with your favorite pasta.

This simple pesto is made from just a few simple ingredients:

• basil
• walnuts
• olive oil
• garlic
• grated parmesan, or substitute nutritional yeast to keep it vegan
• lemon juice
• salt & pepper

The creamy walnut pesto is a staple on your favorite pasta, but can also be used on toast or with your favorite protein! You can prep it ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 1 week, or freeze it for 2-3 months.

For a pasta salad variation, you can add different colors of vegetables like peas, cherry tomatoes, or cucumbers. It’s a great way to clean out your fridge, and a delicious way to eat more veggies.

Serve this pesto pasta salad at your next BBQ or as a simple weeknight meal. I love it with a side of salmon, but there are so many ways to enjoy this simple dish 🙂

What to serve with your pesto pasta salad:

Lemon Parmesan Crusted Fish

Spinach & White Bean Burgers

Buffalo Tofu Nuggets

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Pesto Pasta Salad with Roasted Veggies

5 from 2 votes

Course: Main

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• 12 oz pasta of choice, I used cavatappi

• 2 red bell peppers, sliced

• 1 large zucchini, sliced

• 1/2 red onion, sliced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes

• Walnut Pesto

• 2 cup fresh basil

• 1/3 cup walnuts

• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic

• 3 tbsp grated parmesan or nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp salt

• Pinch of black pepper

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 425 F.
• Toss your sliced peppers, zucchini and onions with the olive oil, salt & pepper and layer them on a large baking sheet.
• Roast them in the oven for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
• While the veggies roast, prepare your pasta as instructed on package. Drain and set aside.
• For the walnut pesto, add in all of the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blend for 3-4 minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of your food processor as needed.
• Once the pesto is ready, stir it into the pasta with the roasted veggies and the fresh mozzarella. Serve fresh warm or cold!
• Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 1 week. The pesto can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Did you make this recipe?

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