This Quick Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes is the perfect weeknight meal — fresh, flavorful, and ready in just 30 minutes. A simple homemade pesto and sweet roasted cherry tomatoes turn ordinary pasta into something truly special.
If you’re craving something fresh and comforting but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, this Quick Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes is your answer. The pesto comes together in minutes in a food processor — just basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan, and whatever nuts you have on hand (I used walnuts here). Meanwhile, the cherry tomatoes roast in the oven until soft and caramelized, creating a naturally sweet contrast to the herby pesto.
Everything comes together in one beautiful bowl of pasta that’s vibrant, flavorful, and done in about 30 minutes. The pesto can be made ahead and stored in the fridge, making this recipe even easier for busy weeknights. Kids love the mild, nutty flavor, and it’s a great way to sneak in some greens. Serve it warm for dinner or chilled as a pasta salad the next day — it’s simple, flexible, and always satisfying.
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Why You’ll Love Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes
- Ready in 30 minutes – Pesto Pasta is perfect for getting dinner on the table fast.
- Minimal cleanup – Just one pot for the pasta and a baking sheet for the tomatoes. Use aluminum foil on the pan and it’s even easier to clean up!
- Make-ahead friendly – The pesto can be prepped days in advance.
- Flexible ingredients – Use any nuts you have on hand (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts). Add leftover chicken or canned chickpeas for protein and it’s a complete meal!
- Kid-approved flavors – Creamy, cheesy pesto and sweet roasted tomatoes win everyone over.
- Great for leftovers – Tastes just as good cold for next-day lunches.
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
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Pesto Ingredients
- Walnuts or Pine nuts or nuts of choice – Traditionally, pine nuts, which have a very mild flavor are used in pesto. However, these days, you can find so many wonderful variations on pesto using different greens and/or nuts. I love the flavor of walnuts and that’s what I had on hand. However, you can use any nut that you love.
- Fresh basil leaves – Fresh basil is the traditional pesto green, but you can substitute with fresh parsley, fresh spinach leaves, fresh kale, or even fresh green carrot stems.
- Parmesan, freshly grated – When you grate parmesan yourself, you know you are getting the best and freshest. Of course, you can use pre-grated if that’s all you have on hand. You can substitute with other hard nutty aged cheeses, such as pecorino, or even aged goudas or cheddars.
- Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar.
- Salt and Ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon juice – Lemon juice helps brighten up the pesto and maintain the green color if your making it ahead.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – This is the traditional oil for pesto and pairs wonderfully with the other ingredients.
Other Ingredients
- Pasta, dried – I used Penne, but you can use any pasta that you love cooked to al dente.
- Cherry tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are sweeter than larger tomatoes. You can substitute grape tomatoes or diced plum tomatoes for a similar sweetness. Otherwise, any fresh tomato that you have will work.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For coating the cherry tomatoes when they roast. The oil adds flavor, but also prevents them from sticking to the pan.
- Salt and Ground black pepper – I only used salt and pepper, but you could add garlic powder and dried oregano or any other herbs you like.
- Parmesan Cheese grated or shredded – This is for adding to the pasta at the end as a finishing touch.
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment
For this recipe, you need a food processor to blend the pesto. I love my mini food processor for recipes like this.
For roasting the tomatoes, you need a large sheet pan.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
Talking Tip!
Toast nuts before using them in recipes! Lightly toasting your nuts (pine, walnut, cashew, or other) brings out oils and flavor. You can do this in a pan without any additional oil over low heat for 1-3 minutes. Watch them closely and they can go from 0 to burnt fast!
Lightly toast your nuts in pan (no oil) over low heat for 1-3 minutes.
Add all pesto ingredients to the food processor, except for parmesan. Pulse and then blend.
Scraping down the sides to ensure everything is combine and blended. Then add the parmesan and blend again to combine.
If you are doing this in advance and storing it, transfer the pesto to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and press it down against the pesto to seal out any air. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days in advance.
Cooking Steps
Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
Remove any stems from the cherry tomatoes, then add them to a sheet pan with a tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. Season the tomatoes with a teaspoon of Salt and a sprinkle of ground black pepper to taste.
Roast in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes start to pop.
Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water for adding to the pesto pasta.
Strain the pasta, then mix with the pesto. Add pasta water as needed to help thin out the pesto and create a sauce with the pasta.
Last, either mix the tomatoes gentle into the pasta or plate the pesto pasta and top with the roasted tomatoes.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Variations on Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes
Here are some of the ways that you can change up this recipe for other nights!
- Add Protein: Toss in grilled chicken, sautéed shrimp, or crispy chickpeas for extra heartiness.
- Creamy Twist: Stir in a spoonful of ricotta, cream cheese, or even Greek yogurt for a creamy pesto sauce.
- Roasted Veggies: Add roasted zucchini, bell peppers, or asparagus along with the tomatoes for extra color and flavor.
- Go Dairy-Free: Skip the cheese and use nutritional yeast or a dairy-free pesto for a vegan-friendly version.
Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes Recipe FAQs
1. What kind of nuts can I use in pesto?
You can use almost any nut you have on hand! Traditional pesto uses pine nuts, but walnuts, almonds, cashews, or even pistachios work beautifully. Each gives a slightly different flavor and texture — just make sure they’re unsalted.
2. Can I make the pesto ahead of time?
Yes! Homemade pesto keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store it in a sealed container and drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it fresh and bright green. You can also freeze it in small containers or ice cube trays for easy portions later.
3. Do I need to roast the cherry tomatoes?
Roasting the tomatoes makes them bursty, sweet, and slightly caramelized — a perfect balance to the fresh pesto. But if you’re short on time, you can sauté them for a few minutes in a skillet or just toss them in raw for a fresh, juicy version.
4. Can I make this recipe vegan or dairy-free?
Definitely! Just skip the Parmesan in the pesto and use a spoonful of nutritional yeast for that same cheesy flavor. Everything else in the recipe is naturally dairy-free and vegan-friendly.
5. What’s the best pasta to use?
Short pasta shapes like penne, rotini, or farfalle are perfect because they catch the pesto in all the little crevices. But really, any pasta works — even spaghetti or linguine. Use what you love or what’s already in your pantry!
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Quick Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes Recipes
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor
Ingredients
Pesto Ingredients
- ¼ cup Walnuts or Pine nuts or nuts of choice
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
- ½ – 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Other Ingredients
- 16 ounces Dried Pasta
- 12 ounces Cherry tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese grated or shredded
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- If your nuts are not toasted, place in frying pan (no oil needed) and toast for 2-3 minutes over low-medium heat. Watch closely to make sure they don't burn.
- Add all pesto ingredients to the food processor, except for parmesan. Pulse and then blend, scraping down the sides as needed. Once completely blended, add the parmesan to combine. It will be thick, but can be thinned out later when mixed with the pasta.
Cooking Steps
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
- Remove any stems from the cherry tomatoes, then add them to a sheet pan with a tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. Season the tomatoes with a teaspoon of Salt and a sprinkle of ground black pepper to taste. Then roast in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes start to pop.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water for adding to the pesto pasta. Strain the pasta and add back to the pan with the pesto. Gently toss the pasta using tongs or a spatula. Add pasta water as needed to help thin out the pesto and create a sauce with the pasta.
- Last, either mix the tomatoes gentle into the pasta or plate the pesto pasta and top with the roasted tomatoes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!
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