Craving a flavorful and fuss-free weeknight dinner? Look no further than our Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes!
This dish is a symphony of textures and tastes that comes together in a flash. Imagine tender asparagus spears mingling with juicy, roasted tomatoes, all bathed in a vibrant and flavorful pesto sauce.
The savory goodness of pesto perfectly complements the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes, creating a depth of flavor that belies the recipe’s simplicity. Penne pasta provides a delightful bite, while the entire dish comes together in a single pan for minimal cleanup. This recipe is a true weeknight hero, offering restaurant-worthy taste without the extra effort.
So ditch the takeout menus and whip up this magical Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes – your taste buds and your busy schedule will thank you!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Flavor Explosion: This dish is a party in your mouth! The combination of vibrant pesto, juicy roasted tomatoes, and fresh asparagus spears creates a symphony of textures and tastes. The savory pesto complements the sweetness of the tomatoes, while the asparagus adds a touch of vegetal freshness.
Fast and Easy: Don’t let the impressive flavors fool you! This recipe is a weeknight lifesaver. Roasting the tomatoes adds depth without extra effort, while the pesto can be homemade or store-bought depending on your preference. The entire dish comes together in a single pan, minimizing cleanup.
One-Pan Wonder: This recipe is all about simplicity. No need to dirty multiple pots and pans. Everything cooks together in one pan, making cleanup a breeze – perfect for busy weeknights.
Customizable Canvas: Feel free to personalize this dish to your liking. Add other roasted vegetables like broccoli or red peppers, swap the penne for another type of pasta, or choose a different pesto variety like sun-dried tomato or spicy arugula.
Good For You and Hearty: Packed with vegetables and protein from the pesto, this dish is a satisfying and better for you meal that won’t leave you feeling hungry.
Some of the other awesome recipes we considered were: Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce and Amazing Potato Gratin, Hazelnut Crunch Coffee Cake, Roasted Asparagus-Orange Salad with Ginger-Citrus Vinaigrette and Killer Scalloped Sweet and White Potatoes in Smoky Hot Sauce.
We settled on this recipe unanimously which hardly ever happens with five teenagers with various tastes. Even my husband was on board. We served it as a side dish with some delicious seasoned pork steaks and it made for a wonderful, flavorful meal.
We love this Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes!
Printable Recipe
Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- ¾ pounds asparagus trimmed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- 8 ounces pesto sauce I didn’t make it, I used what I had on hand which was Classico – Basil Pesto
- 1 pounds Ronzoni Smart Taste – Penne Rigate
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Finely grated Parmesan cheese for garnish calorie count does not include the cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a large baking pan, spread out the asparagus and grape tomatoes.
- Drizzle everything with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with some sea salt, roast for about 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender enough to pierce with a fork and you see some charred bits on the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Boil a large pot of salted water.
- Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Mix together pasta and pesto sauce. Stir in the asparagus. Then gently toss in the tomatoes.
- If you think you need to add the water to make a thinner pesto sauce, add a little at a time until it's the right consistency.
- Serve sprinkled with ground black pepper and grated Parmesan if desired.
So glad you liked this recipe…definitely one of my favorites! 😀
Very nice pick for the SRC. I have this bookmarked for our Easter brunch. Thanks for sharing.
Looks awesome!! Would love this right now! Great job!
I’m thinking that this would be wonderful cold too, perfect for a picnic, looks and sounds delicious!
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my SRC entry Loaded Potato Soup.
Lisa~~
With spring coming this looks like a great recipe to use some of the asparagus that will fload supermarkets!
I can’t wait for asparagus season! This looks so good. I make something similar with tortellini instead of the penne. With pasta, pesto, and fresh veggies, you can’t go wrong! I love color the tomatoes bring to the party.
what a great recipe- yay for src 🙂
Pasta with veggies? Now we’re talking. We eat like this all the time.
Love pesto. Perfect pasta dish!
What a flavorful combination – asparagus and pesto. Need to try this one!!
This dish has so many of our favorite flavors in it. I just roasted some tomatoes the other day and my husband loved it. This may be our next dish to try them in. It never crosses my mind to serve pasta as a side. Great SRC choice!
What a wonderful medley of flavours. Regretfully we are going into autumn in South Africa so this recipe will have to wait till October before I can try it.
I’ve been wanting to make this dish ever since I first saw it posted. I finally have all of the ingredients needed and cant wait to make it. (It’s hard to keep pesto around long in my house, my daughter and I love the stuff on sandwiches).
I’ve been wanting to make this dish ever since I first saw it posted. I finally have all of the ingredients needed and cant wait to make it. (It’s hard to keep pesto around long in my house, my daughter and I love the stuff on sandwiches).
Love pesto. Perfect pasta dish!
Very nice pick for the SRC. I have this bookmarked for our Easter brunch. Thanks for sharing.
What a flavorful combination – asparagus and pesto. Need to try this one!!
Pasta with veggies? Now we’re talking. We eat like this all the time.
So glad you liked this recipe…definitely one of my favorites! 😀