Dig into a bowl of this delicious Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables! This easy recipe that's packed with bold flavors and fresh veggies that you're sure to love. Best of all, it's easy to make!
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Ginnie's Take
I love catching up with friends and family over a delicious meal. It's my favorite way to spend time together, so when I found out my sister and niece were visiting, I decided to test out this Cilantro Pesto Pasta recipe on them. Cilantro can be divisive, and my niece was only five, so this was a bit of a gamble. Thankfully, the pasta ended up being a major hit with adults and kids alike! If you're a cilantro lover like my family, you have to try this pasta. This is pesto with a twist, and the bold flavors of this vibrant green sauce are sure to make your mouth water!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Unique Flavor - Calling all cilantro fans, this scrumptious pasta dish is for your! The pesto has just the right balance of fresh, spicy flavors, and with the roasted vegetables, it makes a great one bowl meal.
- Easy to Make - This recipe has a few steps, but everything is super simple to prepare. In fact, you food processor and oven will do most of the work for you.
- Great for Summer - I love making this recipe in summer when herbs and veggies are abundant. It's the perfect way to show off fresh produce!
Jump to:
Ingredients
This easy recipe uses basic ingredients you can find at any store! Here's what you'll need:
- Pesto - The homemade Cilantro Pesto Sauce is made with almonds, fresh garlic, a serrano pepper, fresh cilantro and parsley, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and kosher salt.
- Veggies - You'll toss grape tomatoes, zucchini, and a yellow bell pepper with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast them until tender.
- Pasta - This recipe calls for spaghetti, but other pasta strands or chunky shapes will also work.
- Topping - I sprinkled a little queso fresco over the pasta before serving. It's optional, but the perfect finishing touch!
This recipe is naturally vegetarian. You can skip the cheese topping to make the recipe vegan / dairy free. For a gluten free option, just swap in some GF spaghetti.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a food processor to prepare the sauce, a large baking sheet to roast the vegetables, and a large pot to cook the pasta.
How to Make Cilantro Pesto Pasta
This yummy Pasta with Cilantro Pesto and Roasted Veggies is super easy to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Roast vegetables. Start by combining the grape tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow bell pepper with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast them until tender.
- Make pesto + cook pasta. While the veggie roast, cook the pasta until al dente, then reserve a little pasta cooking water before draining it. As the pasta cooks, make the sauce. You'll mince the serrano pepper (add as much or as little as you'd like), garlic, and toasted almonds in a food processor. Then, add the cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil. Puree until you have a beautiful, vibrant green pesto.
- Combine ingredients. Return the pasta to the pot (off the heat), then mix with the cilantro pesto, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water. Gently stir in the roasted vegetables. I topped mine with some crumbled queso fresco before serving.
Okay, it's time to eat. Serve your mouthwatering Cilantro Pesto Pasta in bowls for easy twirling!
Variations
This recipe is easy to customize! Here are some ideas to try:
- Herbs - This recipe uses a 50 /50 mix of cilantro (sometimes called coriander) and parsley. However, you can use all cilantro, or even mix in in other herbs, like basil or mint.
- Nuts - Swap out the almonds for walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, or pecans.
- Nut Free - Skip the nuts, or replace them with pepitas or sunflower seeds.
- Juice - Substitute fresh lime juice for the lemon juice.
- Peppers - Replace the serrano with other hot peppers, like jalapeños, or replace it with ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne. If you're not sure how much to add, start with half a pepper and go from there. Not a fan of spicy food? You can leave out the peppers altogether.
Other Ways to Use Cilantro Pesto
There are lots of uses for this yummy cilantro pesto sauce beyond pasta, too. Try:
- Drizzling it over a salad.
- Mixing it with cooked rice.
- Using it as a sauce with steamed or roasted veggies.
- Serving it as a dip.
- Spreading it over dough for a unique pizza sauce.
Storage
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in your refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for up to four days. Rewarm gently in your microwave before serving.
The pesto tastes best when fresh, but it can be prepared a day or two in advance, then refrigerated until ready to use. It may also be frozen for up to two months.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, try my Southwest Pasta Salad (which uses the same pesto), too! Looking for more pesto pasta ideas? Make one of these delicious recipes next:
- This simple Pesto Pasta recipe is a classic for a reason. Super tasty!
- If you're craving a creamy pasta, then you're going to love this yummy Pesto Ricotta Pasta.
- Serve this crowd-pleasing Pesto Gnocchi on a busy weeknight!
- Have lot of kale to use up? Then this mouthwatering Kale Pesto Pasta is for you.
- This unique Busiate alla Trapanese features a wonderful tomato pesto and a fun corkscrew pasta!
P.S. Check out all my pesto recipes for everything from sandwiches to salad dressings, and so much more!
Cilantro Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
For Roasted Veggies:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pint (about 2 cups) grape tomatoes, halved if large
- 2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced
- kosher salt and pepper
For Pasta:
- 1 pound (454 grams) spaghetti
For Cilantro Pesto:
- ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
- ½ to 1 whole serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 cup cilantro (packed)
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley (packed)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For Serving:
- crumbled queso fresco, for serving (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
Prepare Roasted Veggies:
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Place tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow pepper on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Roast veggies for 15 minutes, then flip. Continue roasting for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and staring to brown.
- Remove from oven, then set aside until ready to use.
Prepare Pasta:
- While veggies roast, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Add spaghetti to pot and cook until al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
Prepare Pesto:
- While pasta cooks, combine toasted almonds, serrano pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Process until minced.
- Roughly chop cilantro and parsley, then add to food processor, along with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Process until smooth.
- Taste pesto, then adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt, if needed. Set aside.
Assemble Pasta:
- Return pasta to pot (off heat), then top with pesto. Mix pasta with pesto, adding just enough of the reserved pasta water so that the pesto evenly coats the pasta. Taste, then season with additional salt, if necessary.
- Gently mix the spaghetti with the roasted veggies. Then sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco (if using).
- Serve pasta hot. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Note: This recipe was originally published in October 2017. I've since updated the recipe to make the directions more concise.
Can you freeze the pesto?
Hi, Julie! Yes, you can freeze pesto. I'd recommend storing it in a small airtight container or a zip top bag with all the air pressed out (freeze flat).