Zucchini Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes & Chickpeas
Easy, flavorful zucchini pesto pasta with roasted zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. A 9-ingredient vegan meal perfect for using up an abundance of summer vegetables!
Servings 4 (Servings)
Ingredients
- 5 cups zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices (2 large zucchini yield ~5 cups or 650 g)
- 1/2 large red onion, diced (1/2 onion yields ~1 cup or 150 g)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, whole (1 pint yields ~2 ½ cups)
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or sub ~1 ½ cups homemade)
- 4 Tbsp olive oil (DIVIDED)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (DIVIDED)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (DIVIDED)
- 12 oz. pasta of choice (gluten-free as needed // we like Jovial Fusilli)
- 1 cup basil pesto (ensure vegan/dairy-free as needed // see notes for store bought recommendations)
FOR SERVING optional
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Basil leaves
Instructions
- Before preheating, arrange your oven racks so that two baking sheets will fit in the oven. Then preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add sliced zucchini to one baking sheet, then add the onion, tomatoes, and chickpeas to the other, keeping the chickpeas on one side of the sheet. Add 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of oil to each baking sheet, then add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes to each baking sheet (amounts as original recipe is written — if adjusting the default number of servings, add half of the total measurements to each baking sheet). Toss until everything’s evenly coated, ensuring you keep the chickpeas separated. Spread the zucchini out so it’s overlapping as little as possible.
- Roast for 20-30 minutes, until the veggies are very tender, the tomatoes are bursting open, and the chickpeas are golden brown and beginning to crisp.
- While the veggies roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. While the water boils, prepare the pesto (if using homemade).
- After cooking and draining the pasta, return it to the pot and add the pesto. Stir well and add more pesto to taste. Then add the roasted veggies and mix once more. Serve, topped with vegan parmesan and fresh basil, if desired. Enjoy!
- Leftovers keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Not freezer friendly. Reheat in the microwave or briefly in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding a little water as needed.
Notes
*Store-bought dairy-free pestos we’ve tried and enjoy: Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto, Le Grand Garden Pesto, and Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with Jovial brown rice fusilli and without optional ingredients.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with Jovial brown rice fusilli and without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 614 Carbohydrates: 91.3 g Protein: 17.2 g Fat: 22.5 g Saturated Fat: 2.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.6 g Monounsaturated Fat: 12.7 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 581 mg Potassium: 1108 mg Fiber: 10.9 g Sugar: 9.7 g Vitamin A: 341 IU Vitamin C: 48 mg Calcium: 115 mg Iron: 3.3 mg