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This pesto pasta with green vegetables is a sight to behold! It’s as beautiful as it is delicious! Start with your favorite pasta and green veggies. Toss it all together with a gorgeous pesto, and that’s it! This pesto is classic. It’s made with fresh, simple ingredients like basil, garlic, parsley, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, Parmigiano Reggiano, olive oil, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Pesto is typically served with a thin pasta like capellini, spaghetti, or linguine. I like to use a sturdier pasta like penne because it holds up well to the plethora of vegetables, and I love the shape!

What goes into pasta with green vegetables?

  • Pasta: I use gluten-free penne pasta for this recipe. I like Dakota Growers and Barilla gluten-free pasta. Both are delicious and tend to hold their shape well. This recipe also works perfectly with bucatini, linguine, or rigatoni. I tend to go with the thicker, pasta shape because it will hold up better to the weight of the vegetables.
  • Green Vegetables: This is where you can let your imagination run wild! Keep an eye out for seasonal vegetables. They’re going to pack the biggest flavor punch! Some good choices are asparagus, peas, baby spinach, broccoli, kale, haricot vert, zucchini, chard, rapini, and artichoke. Use as few or as many as you’d like.
  • Pesto: Pesto comes from the Genoese word pesta, which means “to pound.” In Italy, this term is used for many different styles of pesto. For this recipe, we are making pesto alla Genovese. Start by adding fresh basil, garlic, parsley, toasted pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, and lemon juice into a food processor or blender. Pulse it a few times to mulch the ingredients together. With the processor on, gradually add the olive oil in a thin stream. This will ensure that the pesto emulsifies and is nice and creamy. You can swap out the pine nuts for walnuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, or macadamia nuts. If you have a nut allergy, no worries, just omit the nuts. It will still taste just as delicious!

Pro Tips:

  • Peel the asparagus: Here’s the rule of thumb. If the asparagus stalk is medium to thick, then you may want to peel it so that it’s super tender. Just lay the stalk on a cutting board and slide a peeler down the stalk as you slowly spin it. No need to peel thin asparagus as they are tender enough.
  • Toasting pine nuts: This is easy! Get a small skillet nice and hot. Add the pine nuts and shake the pan around until the nuts are lightly toasted. That’s it. The whole process takes about 2-3 minutes. Some markets like Trader Joe’s have pre-toasted pine nuts. These work fabulous and save you some time.
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Pesto Pasta with Green Vegetables

Pesto Pasta with Green Vegetables

  • Author: Carole at Comfort + Thyme
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
  • Category: Vegetarian
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This pesto pasta with green vegetables is fresh, healthy, and showcases the lovely vegetables of spring! Make it your own and experiment with some of your favorite veggies.

Ingredients

Scale

Pesto

  • 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/4 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • pinch crushed red pepper flake
  • 2/3–3/4 cup olive oil
  • salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Pasta and Vegetables

  • 12 ounces gluten-free penne pasta (or your favorite pasta shape)
  • Kosher salt
  • 12 ounces (1 pack) asparagus, peeled and cut into quarters (on the bias)
  • 2–3 crowns of broccoli (about 4–5 cups), cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 cups peas (OK to use frozen if fresh is not available)
  • 4 cups baby spinach

Garnish

  • Fresh pea shoots or basil leaves
  • Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Crushed red pepper flake

Instructions

  1. Make the pesto. Add basil, garlic, parsley, toasted pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon juice, and a pinch of red pepper flake to a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are mulched together. With the processor on, add the olive oil in a thin stream and process until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Peel and cut the asparagus into quarters.
  3. Chop the remaining vegetables. Keep them in separate bowls. Some veggies take longer than others.
  4. In a large pot add 5-6 quarts of water and 1-3 tablespoons of salt. The water should taste like sea water. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. When pasta has 5 minutes left, add the broccoli, gently stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas, and the baby spinach, gently stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Strain pasta and vegetables reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water (to thin the sauce if needed). I like to pour the pasta/vegetable mixture into a super large bowl. You can also add them back into the cooking pot.
  7. Pour the pesto over the pasta and veggies and gently toss it all together.
  8. Garnish with Parmigiano Reggiano, pea shoots or fresh basil, and more red pepper flake.

Notes

  • If you swap out the vegetables, just make sure to cook the harder vegetables first.
  • Pea shoots are seasonal and sometimes hard to find. Fresh basil leaves or microgreens work great too.

Keywords: pesto pasta with green vegetables, pesto pasta