Healthy Pasta with broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and your pasta of choice in 30-ish minutes. Quick, easy and delicious weeknight dinner.
We love this vegetarian pasta recipe as much as we love mushroom stroganoff and penne with broccoli.
Healthy Pasta Recipe
This healthy pasta is one of the most popular recipes on iFOODreal. And there is a good reason for that – it’s fresh, light, flavorful, and loaded with veggies! Of course, we sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese for balance. It comes together in less than 30 minutes from prep to clean up.
Part of what makes this pasta recipe so quick and easy is using your favourite store-bought pesto sauce. If you have a jar of homemade or you don’t mind taking the time to make your own, go for it! Save your leftover pesto for this turkey zucchini. Because carbs one day equals low carbs the next!
Enjoy coating all of those juicy tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and tender broccoli florets in the creamiest sauce. This summer inspired vegetarian dish is perfect all year round! Just like our Tuscan chicken pasta and healthy chicken alfredo.
Is Pasta Healthy?
So, this question. I’m sure if you ask the millions Italians if pasta is healthy they may have a thought or two! I know it’s white pasta and it might seem like an oxymoron to show up in “a healthy pasta recipe,” but here’s the scoop.
- First, you’re loading it up with veggies: You can never go wrong with including more vegetables in your diet.
- Second, you can use ANY pasta you want: Gluten-free, whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa, kamut pasta. You name it! Pictured is my kids’ favourite organic Garofalo brand from Costco. It’s one of the best quality pasta I ever tried.
- And third, please friends, don’t forget that “health” has many components: Getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, exercise and avoiding stress. So, go have a nap, drink a glass of water, do some yoga, then reward yourself with a bowl of pasta for dinner 😉
Is Pesto Healthy?
It can absolutely be incredibly healthy, especially if you use homemade pesto. If using store-bought, try to find one with as fewer additives as possible. All there is to a basic pesto is olive oil, basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and salt.
What Is the Best Parmesan Cheese?
And a word on Parmesan cheese. As with any cheese, freshly grated is the way to go. Pre-packaged usually comes with a lot of extra junk. So, forego the shaker-faker, it’s full of additives like cellulose (a fibre extracted by wood fibre, if you can believe it) and other garbage.
Buy a hunk of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano, grate a good amount at a time and then refrigerate in an airtight container for a few weeks. Freeze the rest of the hunk and use grated cheese to sprinkle on ground turkey pasta, spaghetti and minestrone soup.
Ingredients for this Healthy Pasta Recipe
- Pasta: Any shape, any type, uncooked.
- Veggies: Broccoli florets, coarsely chopped. Sun-dried tomatoes (dry or packed in oil), thinly sliced. Grape tomatoes halved.
- Pesto sauce: Store-bought or homemade pesto, divided. Pasta water, reserved.
- Seasoning: Garlic cloves, minced. Salt. Red pepper flakes. Ground black pepper, to taste.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil.
- Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
How to Make Healthy Pasta
- Prep: Cook your pasta as per package directions. Because this tomato pesto pasta dish cooks fast (like a stir fry), you want to gather your ingredients and have them ready to go. Timing is everything for ultimate flavour and an al dente texture to the pasta.
- Cook pasta, saute veggies: While pasta is cooking, saute garlic in olive oil for a few seconds. Stir frequently. Add a bit of pesto and tomatoes and give it a stir. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes and stir again. Move ingredients to one side of the skillet, making sure the empty spot is right above the heat. Add a bit of pesto and broccoli to the empty spot in the skillet and cook stirring once.
- Drain pasta: When pasta is finished cooking, drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Set pasta aside.
- Combine: Remove the skillet from the heat and add the remaining pesto. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes, salt, black pepper, red pepper, flakes, pasta, and pasta water. Stir gently to combine and let the flavours meld together, and watch how creamy and delicious this becomes. At this point, you can add in half of the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and save the other half for sprinkling right before serving.
Tips and Variations
- Fresh basil: A delicious basil pesto sauce is an awesome start, but why not throw in a few fresh basil leaves for an added burst of fresh herbs!
- Serve a crowd: Easily double this recipe to serve a larger crowd. Summer BBQs have a new star of the show!
- Protein: For added protein, throw in some baked turkey meatballs or chopped up turkey burger.
- Veggies: Instead of, or in addition to, the broccoli, you can add in some bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms.
- Added presentation: This dish is already stunning. The pop of red tomatoes, the green in the pesto, it’s all so pretty! What if you had a variety of cherry tomatoes? Add in some yellow tomatoes for a burst of yellow and a subtle sweetness!
- Frozen broccoli: If you are using frozen broccoli, you don’t need to thaw first. Just toss it in and cook until thawed right in the skillet. Because it was frozen, keep an extra eye out so that it doesn’t get overcooked and mushy.
- A burst of citrus: Squeeze a little lemon juice in with your pesto sauce and enjoy a little extra bright flavour to this dish. A lovely balance to the earthy herbed pesto.
- Serve with: As filling and delicious as this is as a main, a smaller portion can definitely be served as a side dish. It accompanies a juicy turkey burger or lemon butter baked cod very nicely!
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
Store: This amazing pasta dish will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days if it lasts that long!
Freeze: If you have leftovers or made more than enough, you can definitely freeze it for up to 3 months.
Reheat: To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop on low-medium heat. Add a bit more pesto if needed. OR! Eat it cold straight out of the fridge and enjoy a pasta salad for lunch.
More Healthy Recipes
- Easy pasta bake recipe
- Pasta e fagioli
- Tomato pasta salad
- Salmon in foil
- Instant Pot minestrone (pressure cooker)
Healthy Pasta with Pesto and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 cups any shape pasta uncooked
- 1 cup pasta water reserved
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp pesto divided
- 2 cups grape tomatoes cut in halves
- 4 cups broccoli florets coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta as per package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, draining the rest. Set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, get all ingredients ready. Preheat large deep skillet or a dutch oven on medium heat, add olive oil and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Add 1 tbsp pesto, tomatoes and stir. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes, stir and cook another 1 - 2 minutes. Move to one side of the skillet and make sure the empty side of is positioned directly over heat. Add 1 tbsp pesto and broccoli, stir and cook for 4 minutes, stirring once.
- Remove skillet from heat and add remaining 1/4 cup pesto, sun dried tomatoes, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, pasta and pasta water. Stir gently and let flavours marinate for a few minutes. Do not cover because broccoli will become a mushy mess. I also like to add half Parmesan cheese in this step and the other half right before serving. Serve hot.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 - 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
- Fresh basil: A delicious basil pesto sauce is an awesome start, but why not throw in a few fresh basil leaves for an added burst of fresh herbs!
- Serve a crowd: Easily double this recipe to serve a larger crowd. Summer BBQs have a new star of the show!
- Protein: For added protein, throw in some baked turkey meatballs or chopped up turkey burger.
- Veggies: Instead of, or in addition to, the broccoli, you can add in some bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms.
- Added presentation: This dish is already stunning. The pop of red tomatoes, the green in the pesto, it's all so pretty! What if you had a variety of cherry tomatoes? Add in some yellow tomatoes for a burst of yellow and a subtle sweetness!
- Frozen broccoli: If you are using frozen broccoli, you don't need to thaw first. Just toss it in and cook until thawed right in the skillet. Because it was frozen, keep an extra eye out so that it doesn't get overcooked and mushy.
- A burst of citrus: Squeeze a little lemon juice in with your pesto sauce and enjoy a little extra bright flavour to this dish. A lovely balance to the earthy herbed pesto.
- Serve with: As filling and delicious as this is as a main, a smaller portion can definitely be served as a side dish. It accompanies a juicy turkey burger or lemon butter baked cod very nicely!
Nutrition
Recipes and images are a copyright of ifoodreal.com. It is against the law to republish recipes anywhere including social media, print and all world wide web. Nutritional info is provided for informational purposes only and to the best knowledge.
This was amazing!! My whole family loved it. I used 1/2 the pasta water and a little more of the homemade pesto. Yummm
Awesome!
My 11-yr-old daughter made this and it is delicious. She even forgot a couple of things and it turned out great! This has become one of our main family meals ever since.
Delicious!
This recipe sounds delicious and I’d love to try it. Unfortunately I can’t have pesto. Can you think of a good substitute?
Thanks!
Depending on why you can’t have pesto you might just be able to homemake your own with ingredients you can have. For instance, I make pesto with carrot tops (no basil at all), walnuts (instead of pine nuts), nutritional yeast (instead of parm). I’ve seen tons of different tweaks like this for pestos whether with sun dried tomatoes, roasted red pepper, broccoli, etc.
what are the macros for a single serving? thank you
You can find them at the bottom of the recipe card.
The family loved this recipe, it was easy and delicious. Loved the pesto flavour.
Awesome!
Okay. I knew that the recipe will be good but I wasn’t expecting the pasta to be DELICIOUS! And with no meat! Even my hubby loved them and he’s crazy about food with meat. Thank you for this recipe! 🙂
So great to hear Cristina!
Just cooked and ate it. It’s very good and easy to prepare. My life experience has taught me that 2 cups of uncooked pasta won’t be close to enough in a dish such as this for us, so I doubled it to 4 cups and also doubled the garlic. I don’t like much garlic but because of the doubled pasta I thought it would be needed. A great recipe that I’ll make again for sure. Thank you!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed this recipe Elaine!
Whole family liked it! Easy to make and delicious! Thank you!
Made it with chickpea pasta and it was delish!
Made this for the first time last night. Added some fresh basil from my garden, but otherwise followed the recipe. It was so easy and very tasty! Will be making this one again.
Fresh basil on pasta sounds amazing Kay!
How much is in one serving?
Approximately 1 1/2 cups.
I clicked on a link about what instapot to buy, and got a pasta recipe. Recipe looks good, but I would like to know your thoughts about instapots. Please resend the link.
Yes sorry, I fixed it in my email now. Here is the link https://ifoodreal.com/which-instant-pot-to-buy/. And for easy future, you can always search my website.:)
It was soooo good, even my sons loved it.??
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback, Deborah!
Delicious dish! My hubby who isn’t crazy about tomatoes liked it a lot. Our 14 year old daughter loves it as well. She practically licks up the “juice” when she’s done!
Sounds like this recipe is a keeper in your household Bonnie!
My whole family loved this and I could make while chasing after twins. I added chicken to the recipe and it’s fantastic
Awesome to hear Alicia!
Really enjoyed this. Will make it again
Really good thank you sharing this recipe! YUM.
Delicious
Awesome. My budding teenager is into healthy eating and it was getting a bit much funding things to suite his palate thanks to this fabulous dish Got the thumbs up from my son . I did not have cherry tomatoes so just used normal tomatoes quartered . Great start simple, healthy and good . Thankyou
You are so welcome Beula!
I fudged up the timing on this recipe but it was still delicious! I greatly enjoyed the easiness and the quickness of this recipe, especially as a student who is beginning to meal prep. Excellent combination of spices too! I’ve never cooked with pesto before and was pleasantly surprised. I definitely plan on making this again and trying out variations.
Thanks so much! 🙂
You are so welcome Cassandra. Happy cooking!
Thanks for this great recipe! I have a very picky newly-turned teenager and she absolutely loved this. It even went with her to school today for lunch. Granted, she picked out the sun-dried tomatoes but no matter, extra for me! I made the recipe as is for the most part and used a little extra pasta.
Sounds amazing, Jennifer. I am happy for you as a mom haha
Love it! I used chickpea pasta. We are living “plant based” diet and this has lots of flavor and pleases all ages!
I’m so happy your family loved the recipe, PJ. Thanks for sharing that with me!
This recipe is fantastic! I’m just starting out my diet for the new year and this is an absolute must have dish!! The whole family loves it
I’m so happy your family loved the recipe. Thanks for sharing that with me! Good thing is you don’t have to diet. 🙂
Amazing! Even my picky family liked it. Will definitely be making this again as it was quick and easy as well! BONUS!!
That is the best when kids (& the rest of the family) love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Ileana, the link is broken for Skillet Greek Sausage Corkscrew Toss, so can you please send me the recipe in full with ingredients and directions? Thank you, Helen Spanopoulos
I am sorry we do not have that recipe anymore. 🙁
This was easy to make and quite tasty.
I think it’ll taste even better tomorrow night..
Thanks for the recipe !!
You are so welcome! So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes!
According to my husband this was one of the best pastas he ever had. I used what I had on hand in the fridge. Instead of broccoli I used bell peppers and mushrooms. I’ll definitely make this recipe again. Thanks again for another great recipe.
Hi, Olena, sounds like a great recipe!… If I use frozen broccoli, do I reduce the cooking time, and do I defrost it first? Thanks!
Just add frozen broccoli in there and cook 1-2 mins until thawed.
Thanks!!!!
Why don’t you include fiber in nutritional info?
Because at the time we added this nutritional info, the app we use didn’t show Fiber by default. Once we turned it on, it shows for newer recipes but for older ones I have to go turn it on manually for each which is not happenning for 500 recipes.
Absolutely the BEST!!! We added cubed cooked chicken. Cooked in skillet with butter and seasoned salt and garlic powder.
Sounds amazing! Happy you enjoyed the healthy pasta.:)
I’m ADDICTED – to your website, that is!!! (smiling emoji) Seriously, I made this today after making your Chickpea Avocado Salad yesterday (and not to mention I was at a function & bragged about the salad/refreshing, etc.! I even showed them the photo from your site… more viewers for you & recipes to be made. My husband & I are “pasta” lovers & could eat it almost every day… healthy ways to cook it is what it’s all about!! Healthy eating!
Olena. I love your site & recipes! Oh, and by the way, love your new studio, too! All the best to you.
Lol that’s a good addiction. Haha, thanks for bragging. I so appreciate it. Thank you so much for all your kind words!!! If you love pasta that much, try my new recipe – meat sauce. Making video for it this week.:)
Made it today with Whole wheat noodles and it was great. The burst of flavors when you’re eating it is amazing. My 3 year old gave it two thumbs up.
Yay for a kid eating veggies. Simple flavours are the best!!!
Been searching around for new recipes to try out to start eating healthier, this was the first that caught my eye. Finally got around to making it tonight with a whole grain Rotini and it was amazing!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
You are very welcome, Bryce!
Very good! Not heavy, fresh and filling. Quick and easy was a bonus. Looks just like the picture. My kids (1 and 2) even liked it! I would chop sun dried tomatoes to give a more even mixture. I just wrote the recipe down and am adding to my box.
Happy to hear, Jamie!:) Keep on feeding those little munchkins healthy food and they will grow up into good eaters.
This was AMAZING! I wanted to make it even healthier by getting veggie pasta. Also added caprese flavored chicken sausage for some extra protein. Was the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth and I cannot believe I made it myself! Thanks to this recipe ofcourse! So thankful for the extra detail in the recipe steps because I need it!
You are welcome, Lexi. Please know you can become a great cook in a matter of months.:)
5 star. Soo good.
Delicious! Made it into a salad, there was nothing left.
I’ve just decided what we’re having for dinner! Thanks for sharing this beautiful dish.
I made this tonight and not does it only taste good, it looks good too!
Hi, I’m looking at your recipe for my parenting and child development class this week. We’re doing healthy foods for pregnant women, I was wondering is this a good meal and can you add chicken breast, if so how much?
Hi Alicia. It is a good meal. Use whole wheat or brown rice pasta, add about 1 lb of cooked chicken breast.
Looking forward to making this!! Are the 4 cups broccoli frozen or fresh? Does not specify in the recipe.
Doesn’t matter, 4-5 cups of any.:)
It was very easy to make and tasted very good, I used all organic vegetables and brown rice pasta. I added in some chopped walnuts in for some crunch which tasted amazing.
Glad to hear!:)
Love this recipe!! I added avacado as well and it was delicious!
Avocado is always a great idea!!! GlAd you are enjoying.:)
I made this for dinner last night and, oh my goodness, so yummy!! I used bow tie pasta, frozen broccoli, and a few pieces of chicken for added protein. This was seriously one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. And the best part is it is healthy and loaded with veggies! Thank you Olena. Your recipes are awesome. ?
You are welcome, Amanda! Cab’t believe how popular this simple recipe is…
Hi…i cooked this dish today and followed the recipe to a tee. Im eating it now…very delicious…i was concerned about the broccoli but it was cooked perfect. Thank you!
Hi Peter. Yay! You shouldn’t be concerned about broccoli because you can eat it raw. I would only be concerned to overcook it which isn’t possible with the little cooking time I recommend.
Hi Olena,
I enjoy your blog and your recipes so much, and I share them on (the dreaded) Facebook on my Fitness page often. I have always loved pasta and it is the one thing I have refused to convert completely to whole grain as I have improved my nutrition. It just isn’t the same! It was fate that brought this recipe to my email inbox as I sat down at my desk to eat my own dish of radiatore pasta with cherub tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil, and mushrooms. It’s so nice to see a healthfood blogger who doesn’t condemn white pasta. I eat mostly whole grains, and I keep my carb servings small – usually 1/2 cup (unlike when I was younger and inhaled piles and piles of it). But I don’t see anything wrong with having white pasta as a treat. Oh – and I also have had a similar journey to yours with pesto. I recently bought it to serve over pasta with shrimp that I found on sale (typically very expensive in Pittsburgh) as a treat for my husband. I stopped buying it years ago, even though I LOVE it, because it is so heavy on calories. I’ve decided to allow it back into my life once more. As a fitness coach and mom, I am also working up to blogging regularly, and yours serves as inspiration and guidance. I set up my blog page months ago, and it has collected dust ever since. Would love to change that! Thanks for your free thinking, your authenticity, and your love of flavor!
Margie Young,
Pittsburgh, PA
Hi Margie. You have brightened my Canada Day even more! As I mature and become a more seasoned parent, wife and human being in general, I find inner piece and balance quite important. I find myself less and less involved in drama and black and white stuff. So, yes white pasta is OK as a treat. Organic preferable when I buy it. At a restaurant I won’t forbid my kids to order white pasta once a month. I am honestly over with extremes because that life is not real.
I will try to stay true to myself as much as possible because that is what makes blogging fun. If blogging inspires you then do it. If reading other blogs inspires you then do it. If you don’t feel like working out for a week don’t do it. Whatever makes you happy. Have a great weekend! xoxo
Hi there, first timer here, saw this on Pinterest thought looked so tasty so making it tonight for dinner, thank you for sharing. Also have you thought of making your own pesto, look at anoregoncottage.com I freeze mine and it’s not too fiddly to make. It tastes unbelievably good and Jami uses sunflower seeds which makes it cheaper to make. Only has in it what you put in. I top mine with olive oil as she suggests and it stays a beautiful bright green. After you’ve made it once, there’s no going back!
Thank you! I started to think about that because my basil plant is going crazy which is a good thing. I will definitely do that this summer! I miss quality pesto in winter.
We love this!! I want to make and freeze it for a family with a new baby – how do you suggest it be re-heated? (Baked, thawed and microwaved???). Thanks for the yumminess!!
Hi Barbara. Yes, fully cooked, thawed and microwaved. They would really appreciate it. I remember being so hungry while breastfeeding and having no time to cook. First time I had time and energy though to stock my freezer with cooked meals. It was a blessing.
What a Great Recipe – I Made it for lunch today with wholemeal spaghetti, was Fantastic!! Thanks Olena!
You are welcome, Mealia!
When I entered this recipe fir calculation of smart points, it came out to 10 smart points per serving. Not as low fat as I wanted. I’m going to to eliminate the olive oil as unnecessary and reduce the amount of sundried tomatoes to 3 tbsp and the parmesan cheese to a fat free variety to see if that makes a difference.
You know, you could do that but fats are not our enemy. Healthy plant-based fats like olive oil and even grass fed organic butter in moderation. Fat doesn’t make us fat. But it is up to you. Look it up.
I did the changes and it came down to 9 points for 11/3 cup. Not terrible.
This is a fantastic recipe. I will be adding this to my regular meal planning. Thanks.
You are welcome, Christina.
Substituted pasta for spaghetti squash and it was amazing! Definitely a keeper 🙂
Awesome. Any veggie “pasta” would work. I split pasta dishes in half a lot, to make with pasta for boys and lighter for me.
First off – this looks awesome! Can’t wait to make it.
Only thing that seems strange is your idea of healthy. Seems oils and fats are bad (which is not true), and if it were whole wheat pasta it would be good. The reality is that any flour or grain is a heavy carb that spikes insulin. So don’t hold back on the pesto, hold back on the pasta if you want it be healthy! 🙂
Hi John. I do not think fats are bad. I don’t say it anywhere other the contrary. Especially plant based fats. Secondly, I cook 95% with whole wheat pasta. I explained in the post I used plain white organic pasta for this recipe because my kids like this shape and I can’t find it whole wheat. I do allow them it as a treat. So I think my idea of healthy is similar to yours. Glad to hear some people understand what healthy is! Because as I learnt many have their own understanding of healthy. Enjoy the recipe.
Thank you! It turned out great. I added some spinach in while the broccoli was cooking and added more pesto. This is a great recipe. Thank you!
I’m wondering if I could serve this cold. I have been pre-cooking dinners in the a.m since it has been very warm.
Totally! 99% of my dinners are made early in the day, especially in summer. If food tastes good for you cold – go for it, no rules.
any suggestions for a substitute for broccoli? I think it makes my son (breast feeding) too gassy
Yes, that could be the case. Spinach or asparagus?!
This recipe is so quick, easy, and delicious! I made it twice in the past week. I leave out the sundried tomatoes because I don’t like them. Next time I may take the commenter’s suggestion of putting broccoli in first, but the cooked tomatoes and pasta water mix nicely together to make a sauce. Thanks for a great recipe!
Welcome, Lia!
Eating it right now. Very tasty, and easy. My husband hates sun-dried tomatos, but sometimes I just gotta.
Those picky husbands and kids…Why us women can handle anything?!:)
nade this recipe just this evening and both my wife and I absolutely loved it. My one suggestion would be to sauté the broccoli first and add all the remaining ingredients prior to adding the tomatoes. Adding tomatoes to cooked food is all it takes to blister them and it keeps them from overcooking and becoming mushy. Otherwise I think the recipe is brilliant.
Great suggestion, makes sense. Glad you liked it.:)
I’m confused about the 1/4 cup of pesto. I see where the 2 tbsp are added but do not see in the directions where the additional 1/4 cup is added. Thank you!
Sorry and thanks for catching that. It goes in step 3.
I am wondering where you found the preservative free pesto? Would love to buy that!!
At my local farm market/small grocery store. I just went through many labels at each store until I found one. I live in Vancouver, BC and it’s our local company so unless you live where I live my store location won’t be helpful to you. Also check out health and organic stores and local farm markets. There are often Italian brands without preservatives. Italian deli and markets are a good place too.
I can imagine how flavorful this must be with all these ingredients inside!Yum.
I love pesto pasta! Cannot remember the last time that I made some.. totally craving a bowl right now. Thanks for reminding me how delicious it is!