Tossed in flavorful pesto and grilled to smoky perfection, these pesto grilled vegetables are incredible piled over penne pasta and a great way to use up summer produce!
Meet the one and only way you ever need to know how to grill vegetables!
Smothered in pesto and served alongside a mess of hot penne pasta is how we’re rolling today. You’ll never want those summer veggies any other way again.
You also won’t really care about the fact that you’re eating mostly vegetables here. These babies are that good.
This is one of those meals you can pull together in about 30 minutes, uses minimal ingredients, and won’t heat up your kitchen either.
And the lack of meat? Promise you won’t even miss it here!
These Pesto Grilled Vegetables feature…
- A rainbow of smoky grilled veggies including summer squash, zucchini, asparagus, and sweet pepper
- Flavorful basil pesto coating every inch of the grilled veggies
- Hot penne pasta for serving alongside veggies
Making the Pesto Grilled Vegetables
(scroll down to the bottom of post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Summer squash
- Zucchini
- Asparagus
- Sweet pepper
- Garlic
- Pesto
- Penne pasta
Choosing Your Vegetables
The best part about this recipe is that you can use so many different kinds of vegetables! We love a base of summer squash, zucchini, sweet pepper, and asparagus, but the sky’s the limit for what you can use.
You can swap out any of the veggies in this recipe for mushrooms, green beans, green onions, cherry tomatoes, or sweet corn. This recipe is great for using up a bounty of summer vegetables!
Tips for Perfect Grilled Vegetables
- Cut vegetables in uniform sizes – take care to cut the vegetables the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Grill veggies in grill pan or on aluminum foil – this will keep the vegetables from falling through the grill grates and makes for easier clean up.
- Evenly space vegetables while grilling – this helps prevent the vegetables from steaming and gives them a little char from the grill.
Stovetop and Oven Instructions
Don’t have access to a grill? You can still make this recipe! Follow the below instructions for stovetop and oven cooking methods.
Stovetop
Follow recipe instructions for prepping vegetables up to the grilling step.
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and saute 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Serve with penne.
Oven
Follow recipe instructions for prepping vegetables up to the grilling step.
Lightly grease a large baking sheet and arrange vegetables in a single layer in pan. Roast vegetables at 400F 25-30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Serve with penne.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different spin on this recipe!
- Use homemade pesto – we love the ease of this recipe using jarred pesto, but homemade bumps all the flavors up a notch.
- Swap out the veggies – as mentioned above, this recipe works great with a variety of veggies!
- Add cheese – try grated Parmesan, Asiago, or some fresh mozzarella or burrata melted on top.
- Try a different grain – instead of the penne, try serving these vegetables alongside quinoa, steamed rice, or skip the grains entirely for a veggie-heavy side dish.
- Add meat – if you can’t go without your meat, feel free to mix some diced grilled chicken or sausage into the vegetables after grilling. You can also serve these bowls alongside any main protein dish, such as steak or chicken.
These vegetables are perfectly smoky, bursting with pesto flavor, and just everything summer veggies SHOULD be!
Watch this easy recipe become your go-to way to use up that veggie harvest this summer. There’s no going wrong!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More recipes to help you get your grill on!
Pesto-Grilled Summer Vegetables with Penne
Ingredients
- 2 small summer squash, sliced 1/4-in thick
- 2 small zucchini, sliced 1/4-in thick
- 1/2 lb asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-in pieces
- 1 medium sweet pepper, cut into 1-in pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb penne pasta, cooked according to package instructions and kept warm
Instructions
- In a small bowl, toss squash, zucchini asparagus, pepper, garlic, and basil pesto until evenly combined. Season veggies with salt and pepper to taste.
- Grill veggies on nonstick aluminum foil or in a grill pan over medium-high heat turning occasionally until veggies are slightly charred and tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Toss veggies into penne pasta and season with additional salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was updated with new photos and recipe notes on 5/20/22.
Kay says
Would there be any way to do this in a frying pan in the stove? (I don’t really know how to grill not do I have a grill). And if so, what adjustments would need to be made? I’m not an experienced cook. Any help appreciated. Thank-you.
Sarah says
Hi! You can definitely make this on the stove! I would recommend heating 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the veggies and saute 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender. Good luck!