Zucchini Pesto Pasta

5 from 8 votes

Zucchini Pesto Pasta has become our family favorite quick and easy dinner recipe. It is made with whole wheat pasta, garden fresh basil pesto and roasted / grilled onions and zucchini.

Prep Time9 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time29 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 616kcal

Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

Cast iron skillet
Pot

Ingredients

12 oz Whole grain pasta I used Penne
1 cup Pesto I used Basil and pecan pesto
1 Zucchini sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 Onion sliced (about 1 cup)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese Add more or less based on your preference
1 tablespoon Crushed red pepper adjust based on spice preference
1 tablespoon Olive oil Divided
to taste Salt

Instructions

Heat a heavy bottom pan or a cast iron pan and add 1 /2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add sliced onions and caramelize it. Add salt and pepper when cooking the onions.
Remove the cooked onions in a bowl.
In the same pan, add the remaining oil and cook the sliced zucchini. Add salt and pepper when cooking and remove it along with the onions.
Boil the pasta based on the package instructions. Add salt when boiling the pasta. Drain it and keep it aside.
Once the pasta is cooked, return it to the same pot and add the pesto sauce. Mix well to coat the pasta with sauce.
Add the onions and zucchini to the pasta and gently combine.
Add cheese and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve hot!

Notes

Expert Tips and FAQ's

Cook the pasta adding adequate salt and cook till only till al dente. Don't over cook the pasta.
Mix the onion and zucchini at the end to keep the texture of the vegetables intact.
Cheese is optional, but I would highly recommend using it. Cheese makes everything tastes better.
We can add more vegetables like bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and so on.

Nutrition