Summer is getting crazy flavorful with this super simple and delicious Walnut Pesto Pasta with Roasted Summer Vegetables! Colorful summer vegetables add brilliant bursts of flavor to this easy pesto dish, and with bucatini noodles to absorb the walnut pesto recipe, every bite is certain to please. This entire dinner comes together in just 30 minutes and is topped with delicious burrata cheese for a finish that easily put this pasta dish right into your weekly summer meal rotation. Follow the tips below for the best possible walnut pesto recipe and get ready to knock your socks off with deliciousness!
Succulent Summer Produce
I love putting summer vegetables to work. They are the best of the best, fresh from gardens near and far.
If you find yourself with a surplus of amazing veggies in need of a great recipe, then I’m your gal, hands down. From my one pot summer vegetable pasta, to this amazing ratatouille, and even these simple calabacitas, I’ve got you covered.
Today we’re adding another spectacular dish to our summer veggie repertoire, utilizing a wide assortment of noms, and fistfuls of the freshest basil you can get your hands on for the most spectacular and simple walnut pesto recipe around!
What Roasted Summer Vegetables Do I Use?
In all honesty, you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
I went to the Farmer’s Market last week with the girls and picked up some glorious purple and green beans and I couldn’t resist roasting them along with the fresh baby zucchini, squash, and heirloom grape and cherry tomatoes.
I’m drooling just thinking about it.
You don’t have to use when I used here, in fact, some amazing veggies you could add include:
- eggplant
- mushrooms
- bell peppers
- sweet potatoes
- sweet corn
You could also go with asparagus, but since that is more of a spring vegetable, I shy away from it in summer dishes as the stalks get really large and woody in summer and the flavor isn’t as great.
What’s In This Walnut Pesto Recipe?
This is such an easy pesto recipe, you will want to make it all the time, I promise.
Using my traditional pesto recipe as the base, we swap out the pine nuts and use walnuts instead. Super simple!
- lots and lots of fresh basil
- walnuts
- parmesan cheese
- fresh garlic
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
I like to use just a little less olive oil so the pesto is thicker because we’re going to thin it out with some salty pasta water when we toss it with the bucatini pasta, so it coats both the outside and inside of each delicious noodle.
How Do I Make This Walnut Pesto Pasta Recipe?
It seems like there is a lot going on and that this recipe will take forever, but all the cooking is going on at the same time so everything finishes all at once!
- prep and roast summer vegetables
- boil bucatini pasta noodles
- prepare walnut pesto
- toss noddles in pesto and reserved pasta water
- plate and top with roasted veggies
- add dollops of burrata
- dive on in!
I love to pair this dish with some toasted ciabatta bread coated in garlic olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, just for that salty, garlicky crunch. Good thing I’m hitting up the Farmer’s Market again this evening, because I must make this dinner about seven more times. You know, every single day, of course, ha ha ha.
Walnut Pesto Pasta With Roasted Summer Vegetables
Get ready to indulge in all the best of what summer has to offer in this fantastically delicious Walnut Pesto Pasta with Roasted Summer Vegetables! Featuring an easy pesto recipe and all the summer vegetables you love, this dinner whips up in just 30 minutes, and is perfect with a hearty dollop of fresh burrata on top!
If you like this recipe, please give it a 5-star rating!
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Walnut Pesto Pasta with Roasted Summer Vegetables
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh summer vegetables
- drizzle olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 16 oz bucatini pasta
- 12 oz burrata
Walnut Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil packed
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ cup walnuts
- â…” cup fresh grated parmesan
- ½-3/4 cup olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare The Veggies
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss veggies in a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, depending on the veggies used.
Prepare The Pasta
- Bring a large pot of thoroughly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the bucatini pasta and cook according to package instructions, about 6 minutes for al dente, 8 for normale. Reserve up to 1 cup of the pasta before draining and returning pasta to the pot.
Prepare The Pesto
- While the veggies and pasta cook, add the basil, walnuts, garlic, and parmesan to a food processor and pulse until a fine crumble forms. Turn the food processor on steady and slowly add in the olive oil, starting with ½ cup and adding more as needed from there until the pesto becomes like a thin paste, but isn't runny. Season thoroughly with salt and pepper.
Finish The Dish
- Add the walnut pesto to the pot with the pasta and toss gently to combine. Add reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until pesto has thinned and coated every noodle completely. Portion pasta noodles between six plates, then top with even amounts of roasted vegetables. Divide burrata between dishes, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and fresh basil leaves to finish. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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