This delicious Spring Pesto Pasta Bake is full of fresh spring flavors, and can be made vegan or vegetarian!
I know I don’t usually post more than two recipes a week (except for my Thanksgiving series!), but I had to make an exception in this case because I wanted to sneak in one last spring post! Summer doesn’t technically start until June 21st, but I always consider June to be a summer month. So one last post in May it is!!
I created this recipe back in April, back when it was still a little bit chilly outside. There’s something about baked pasta that is so incredibly cozy! But what I love about this pesto bake is that it’s still light and fresh, thanks to the kale pesto. You can make this recipe with either vegan or vegetarian shredded cheese (I tried it with both) and it still comes out amazing.
Even though I’m excited for summer (days at the lake, summer produce, farmer’s markets), this has been a really great spring and I’m bummed that it’s almost over! It’s been really fun having a garden this year, and I already have plans for things I want to grow next year. Still, it’ll be exciting to have a big harvest from my garden this summer! We have tomatoes, red onions, kale, peppers (jalapeño and bell peppers), spinach, strawberries, and edible flowers. I can’t wait to post some recipes from what I’ve grown :) If you have any suggestions or recipe requests for your favorite summer produce, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email!
Spring Pesto Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Roasted Asparagus
- 1/2 - 3/4 Lb Asparagus
- Drizzle of Olive Oil
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Black Pepper
Pasta Bake
- 8 oz Rotini, Fusilli, or Cavatappi Pasta
- 1/3 Cup Pesto
- 1 Cup Vegan or Vegetarian Shredded Mozzarella
- 1 Cup Arugula
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Wash and dry the asparagus, then cut into 1 - 1 1/2 inch sized pieces. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Bake asparagus in the oven for 10 minutes. When done, remove from the oven, but keep the oven heated at 425 degrees F.
- While the asparagus is cooking, boil your pasta in SALTED water until al dente. When done, drain the water.
- Keeping your pasta in the pot, add in the pesto and mix until all the pasta is evenly coated. Then, stir in the asparagus, arugula, and mozzarella.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into an oven-safe cast iron skillet, pie dish, or casserole dish.
- Bake pasta in the oven at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- When done, remove the pasta bake from the oven and let cool. Garnish with extra arugula, if you'd like.
- Enjoy!
Notes
P.S.
If you make this Spring Pesto Pasta Bake and post it on Instagram, be sure to tag me @wellandfull and #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your takes on my recipes :)
2 Comments
Dana
May 20, 2022 at 5:54 pmThis was so delicious! I made the pesto with spinach instead of kale and roasted pistachios instead of pepitas since I always have both on hand. I love that this pesto uses dried basil, which is so convenient when fresh is not available. My box of pasta was a bit larger – 12 oz, so I used all of the pesto and added a few chunks of brie to the mix. The roasted asparagus was a great addition! This is a new favorite – thank you!
Sarah
June 21, 2022 at 12:52 pmI love the sound of brie and pistachios, I’ll have to try that myself! Thanks so much for leaving a review :)