Grilled Vegetable Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is a delicious use of fresh summer vegetables that are grilled, added to pasta and dressed in a delicious homemade sun-dried tomato pesto.

Last week I made a really easy, and very tasty sun-dried tomato pesto. I loved this sauce so much, as well as this recipe, I use it in asparagus, sun-dried tomato puff pastry bites which are fun, bite-size appetizers.

This recipe is delicious warm, cold or room temperature for an easy lunch by the pool, take to the beach or enjoy as a light dinner.

Most of the summer, I keep a tub of this in the fridge because all of the vegetables make me feel I’m eating healthy. There are some times that I am out of the house all day so I put some in a takeout dish, throw it in my cooler and I have lunch whenever I need it.

What is the best pasta to use?

I like any pasta that has ridges and crevices that allows the sauce get into the grooves for maximum flavor with every bite. Fusilli/rotini, shells, cavatappi are all good choices. Avoid flat-shaped pasta because the weight of the vegetables will just make the dish look unappetizing and flat.

Any vegetable that can be grilled is perfect for this dish. I used zucchini, asparagus, red bell peppers and spring onions. Additions like bocconcini (small bite size mozzarella balls) give a lovely creaminess and cherry tomatoes make for a fresh, sweet bite.

For garnish, I love that chopped basil adds a fresh bite to the dish.

If you’ve tried this Grilled Vegetable Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love to hear from my readers!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see daily recipe updates.

Yield: 8

Grilled Vegetable Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

Name: Grilled Vegetable Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 zucchini, sliced; 1 pound asparagus, trimmed of the woody ends; 1 large red bell pepper, cut into large pieces; 6 green onions, washed, dried and ends trimmed; Olive oil; Salt and pepper; 6 cups pasta; 2 cups sun-dried tomato pesto; 1 cup (6 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved; 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces; 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Fresh summer vegetables are grilled, added to pasta and dressed in a delicious homemade sun-dried tomato pesto.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

4 zucchini, sliced
1 pound asparagus, trimmed of the woody ends
1 large red bell pepper, cut into large pieces
6 green onions, washed, dried and ends trimmed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 cups pasta
2 cups sun-dried tomato pesto
1 cup (6 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

Preheat grill.
Lay out the zucchini and asparagus on a large cutting board.
Brush the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, turn and repeat. Grill the zucchini, asparagus for about 6 minutes each side. Set aside and allow to cool.
Place the bell peppers whole right on the grill. Char on all sides. Once the peppers are charred, remove from the grill and put in a bowl and cover.
While the vegetables are cooling cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the pesto to the hot pasta and toss to coat, set aside to cool.
Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, take a paper towel and wipe the charred skin off and de-seed them.
Chop all the grilled vegetables into bite-size pieces and add to the cooled pasta along with the cherry tomatoes, bocconcini and basil and mix well.
Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 519 Total Fat: 30g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 21g Cholesterol: 21mg Sodium: 455mg Carbohydrates: 50g Fiber: 7g Protein: 18g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Hummus

Comments

Lawerence Fowlar says
September 4, 2015 at 1:05 pm
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are perfect for pesto, since you can pour all of that delicious, tomato-infused extra-virgin olive oil right into the food processor.
Bintu says
July 30, 2015 at 3:08 pm
this really is my perfect summer salad.
Nettie says
July 30, 2015 at 1:20 pm
Looks amazing and so easy! Nettie
christine says
July 30, 2015 at 11:53 am
I tend to go for this Italian style pasta salad rather than more traditional versions. I adore the flavors of this w/ the sun dried tomatoes and your photos are just mouth watering!
Sela P says
July 30, 2015 at 7:18 am
What a fantastic summertime pasta salad!
Peter says
July 29, 2015 at 6:45 pm
Love the pesto and sun dried tomatoes. great combination!
Jasmin J says
July 29, 2015 at 6:20 pm
What a healthy and delicious pasta salad this looks like! Great photo Pinned and shared
Erica says
July 29, 2015 at 5:22 pm
such a beautiful salad and I LOVE that you used sun-dried tomato pesto!
Kacee says
July 29, 2015 at 4:45 pm
Just looks at all of those wonderful veggies! Such a stunning summer dish, with vibrant colors. I bet this is one of those dishes that just gets better and better each day – which certainly makes for a fabulous on-the-go lunch!
Rebecca says
July 29, 2015 at 2:47 pm
You really can’t beat a simple pesto pasta dish – the flavours in this sound lovely 🙂
Felicity K says
July 29, 2015 at 2:21 pm
This looks so light and flavorful! Love all the veggies and beautiful pictures!
Hadia says
July 29, 2015 at 12:53 pm
What a cool recipe, Janette! I just love it!Pinning!
Dharma D says
July 29, 2015 at 9:06 am
This looks delicious! I’d totally make this for my husband’s lunches! Thanks for the great idea! Pinning it to my Brown Bag Lunches board!
Phoebe says
July 29, 2015 at 8:37 am
This is gorgeous! I just pulled our a pack of fusilli out of the pantry, but did not know what kind of pasta salad to make… Will try this recipe! Pinned!
Maarit furman says
July 29, 2015 at 7:51 am
Ohhh Janette! I love love love fresh and simple pastas like this! It so perfect for the summer and it can be served hot or cold! Great recipe!