Who doesn’t love a bowl of herby, cheesy pasta? This Pesto Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes is a vegetarian dinner that’s so satisfying even the meat lovers will be happy. Packed with flavour, texture, and colour – it’s a quick and easy meal that feels a little bit fancy.
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Why You’ll Love It
- ✅ Quick weeknight dinner
- ✅ Vegetarian, creamy, and comforting
- ✅ Uses store-bought or homemade pesto
- ✅ Can be made in under 30 minutes
- ✅ Customise with your favourite pasta
Ingredients
- 300g pasta (tagliatelle, pappardelle, spaghetti, or fettuccine)
- 150g pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 teaspoons salt (for pasta water)
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 125g bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
To Garnish:
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
Time-Saving Tips
- Use store-bought pesto for convenience
- Roast the tomatoes while the pasta cooks
Budget-Friendly Notes
- Use standard mozzarella or grated cheese if bocconcini is too pricey
- Substitute fresh basil with parsley or omit if not on hand
Optional Add-Ins
- Grilled chicken, prawns or crispy tofu
- Roasted veggies like zucchini or capsicum
- Swap pasta for gluten-free or wholegrain options
Notes
- This dish relies on great seasoning – don’t skip the salt and pepper!
- Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days – delicious cold too!
- Use the remaining pasta water to loosen leftovers if reheating
Love this recipe? Try my Asparagus and Prawn Tagliatelle with Mint Pesto next!
Now, on to the method:
Pesto Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes
Who doesn't love a delicious bowl of herby, cheesy pasta?!? A vegetarian delight sure to please even the meat eaters in the house.
Ingredients
- 300 grams pasta tagliatelle/pappardelle/spaghetti/fettuccine
- 150 grams pesto store bought or homemade
- 2 tsps salt
- ¼ cup pasta water
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 250 grams cherry tomatoes
- 125 grams bocconcini balls mini mozzerellas
- salt and pepper
Garnish
- ½ cup basil leaves
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan bake
-
Take an oven tray and add the cherry tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven to cook until ‘blistered’ (softened and some start to burst) , around 1520 minutes. Set aside.
-
While the tomatoes are cooking, cook the pasta in salted boiling water as per packet directions until al dente. When you drain the pasta, reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
-
Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the pesto and ¼ cup of pasta water. Use tongs to toss the pasta. We are looking for lovely soft silky pasta.
-
Add the parmesan and bocconcini and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt & pepper if needed. Don’t scrimp on the seasoning in this dish, it really needs to be perfectly seasoned.
-
To serve, divide the pasta between 4 bowls, top with tomatoes and scatter with basil. Serve.
Recipe Notes
BUDGET NOTES
There is no meat in this one, but the cheeses and pesto are where we spend a little. You can swap out the cheeses, but I honestly wouldn’t, it is such a simple dish it really does need the cheese to give it some vavavoom!
NOTES
You could easily double the pesto in this dish and it would be greener and more nutty and herby, however pesto is not cheap so I have kept my recommended amount low and it is still delicious! You could also add a bunch of chopped soft herbs such as basil, chives, or flat leaf parsley to ramp up those herby flavours.
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