Cilantro Pesto Pasta
Dig into a bowl of this amazing Spaghetti with Cilantro Pesto and Roasted Vegetables. It makes a great dinner for busy nights!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 471kcal
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
Almonds - To toast the almonds, add them to a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook until golden, watching closely and stirring often. Make sure to cook them before preparing the pesto.
Vegan + Dairy Free - Skip the queso fresco to make this recipe vegan and dairy free. If you'd still like to add a topping, sprinkle the dish with toasted, chopped almonds or toasted panko instead.
More - Check out the info before this recipe card for helpful tips, recipe variations, serving suggestions, and more!
Nutrition
Calories: 471kcal
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