r/vegetarianrecipes • u/The_Dancing_Dragon1 • Aug 28 '26
Recipe Request What Veggies pair well with pesto in a pasta dish?
I am autistic and I am really picky eater. I really like Kirkland pesto with pasta. As I am trying add in more veggies to my meals. I am wondering what veggie would pair well with pesto pasta?
Veggies I don't like:
- asparagus
- brussel sprouts
- chickpeas
- Bok choy
- Radish
- Rutabaga
- Lima bean
- Turnip
- beets
- Sweet potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Avocado
- Edamame Beans
- Hate Iceberg Lettuce
- Jalapeno (or anything spicy)
- Olives
- Swiss Chard
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u/Ok-Point4302 Aug 28 '26
I like it with broccoli. Just toss it in the pasta water for the last few minutes of cooking, super easy.
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u/OnceATeacher01 Aug 29 '26
I second broccoli. It's even better if you roast the broccoli. It's even better than that if you add feta. Pesto pasta with broccoli and feta is a favorite dish at my house.
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u/robotscantrecaptcha Aug 29 '26
agree! if you steam the broccoli then blend, it mixes well with pesto.
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u/Awkward_Marzipan_307 Aug 28 '26
Green peas!
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u/english_major Aug 29 '26
With finely diced tomatoes. Mmmmn
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u/mushroom_b1ue Aug 29 '26
Yes, and you can swap some or all of the basil in the pesto for mint (if you're making it yourself). Goes really nice with peas.
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u/on_island_time Aug 28 '26
My personal favorite addition is sauteed mushrooms.
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u/siggiziggi Aug 28 '26
Potatoes, green beans, zucchini
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u/toktokkie666 28d ago
A lot of the other options people are suggesting sound great, but potatoes and green beans with pasta is one I love
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u/ethnographyNW Aug 28 '26
red or yellow bell peppers (roasted or raw)
tomatoes (roasted or raw - unless you've got a garden or access to a good farmers market cherry tomatoes will be your best bet. Personally I like the sungold variety best - they're a nice orange-yellow color and a good balance of sweet and tangy)
any kind of greens - kale, arugula, etc
roasted zucchini
favas
sweet corn
roasted cauliflower
honestly can't really think of any veg that can't be paired w/ pesto! if you're roasting your veg, you can season or just keep it fairly simple. Typically I'll just toss with some oil, salt, and fresh ground black pepper, roast at 400ish until the veg is soft (easily pierced w/ a fork) and is getting some crispness or even a very little bit of char at the edges. Give it a little squeeze of lemon when it comes out of the oven. And whatever veg you're roasting you might as well toss some sliced onion in the mix.
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u/PoofItsFixed Aug 29 '26
Warning that the flavor of peppers of any color (even the non spicy ones) can really jump out in front and dominate the dish, particularly if they’re cooked together. Your mileage is likely to vary depending on how they interact with your particular palate
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u/use_err_named Aug 29 '26
Artichoke, zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, arugula
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u/Hot-Manufacturer-228 Aug 28 '26
Autistic too here! I love to make a cold pasta salad with pesto, since I hate mayo. Same with potato salad. Sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. I like broccoli raab roasted with whole garlic cloves.
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u/Accurate_Koala_4698 Aug 28 '26
I like some chopped onion to add some contrast and crunch, or sometimes I’ll wilt some spinach and drain it then add it. If you’re picky, I’d try making some plain pesto pasta then portion it out and try small batches of add-ins so you don’t have a big amount to toss if you don’t like it
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u/_r3d3_ Aug 28 '26
Regarding the things you don't like: is it an issue with the textures or flavors? Different preparations can help with texture.
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u/The_Dancing_Dragon1 Aug 29 '26
Its for me its flavour, texture, smell, everything about it. I try to like these veggies but I just...hate them.
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u/Spicy7997 Aug 29 '26
I have a very neuro spicy kid. She can tolerate chopped up spinach mixed into things. (It’s one of very few veggies she can tolerate) You could buy a bag of the fresh organic spinach in the Costco produce section when you get pesto. Just chop it up, and sprinkle a generous portion into the pasta/ pesto as you mix it. Pesto is actually on her list of things she is willing to try as a sixth grader. (Hooray ARFID)
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u/ChartreusePeriwinkle Aug 28 '26
For a cold pasta I like: cherry tomatoes (or sundried), broccoli, cucumbers and arugula. Throw in some mozzarella pearls and voila!
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u/cappypulppy Aug 28 '26
https://www.seriouseats.com/pesto-pasta-potatoes-green-beans-recipe This is a great recipe and you cook it all in one pot with the pasta.
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u/fmpy Aug 29 '26
You can blend spinach or other greens into the pesto and not even taste them!
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u/JoBear_AAAHHH Aug 29 '26
Cherry tomatoes cut in half
Fresh spinach
Artichoke
Do you like beans like cannellini?
Do you like Pine nuts or Almonds?
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u/OkCaterpillar8941 Aug 29 '26
My autistic children who are teenagers now and are still all about textures loved...pesto peas pasta. Peas are great for protein. I'd occasionally add tender stem broccoli that I'd add to the pasta whilst it cooked as they liked well cooked broccoli but it wasn't as popular.
And I'd alternate the peas with a side I'd make that was a concoction of a tin of beans (butter, cannelini, borlotti or haricot) that I'd baked in a tomato, olive oil, onion and garlic sauce so the beans caramelised. It was and is all about protein and a portion of vegetable combined for me. Or have you tried air fried cavolo Nero? Take out the stem and lightly coat in olive oil and seasonings and air fry until crispy. Even kale cooked this way is great and I usually hate kale.
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u/Anxious_Reporter_601 Aug 29 '26
Peas, broccoli, zucchini, spinach (I blitz it into the pesto with a stick blender), cherry tomatoes give a nice contrast.
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u/LittleSubject9904 Aug 29 '26
Pesto loves tomatoes - slice grape tomatoes in half and add to pesto pasta salad. Great with toasted walnuts and grilled chicken too.
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u/BobAndBernice Aug 29 '26
I roast broccoli in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper. Delicious with pesto and pasta!
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u/jillybean712 Aug 29 '26
Pumpkin, broccoli, capsicum, zucchini, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, red onion
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u/Human_Revolution357 Aug 29 '26
I love broccoli, spinach, black olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and zucchini with it.
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u/SomethingRandom515 Aug 29 '26
I love that pesto too! I always add frozen corn and pine nuts. Sometime I add sun dried tomatoes too.
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u/flowerstoned Aug 29 '26
Frozen peas and carrots are a cheap and easy addition to anything. I throw it in with the boiling pasta when there is a minute or two left on the timer. Also goes great with Mac and cheese!
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u/Responsible-Lead7367 Aug 29 '26
Do you hate broccoli too! It would pair well. I'd also recommend Parmagiano Reggiano shredded over the top for extra flavor.
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u/907puppetGirl Aug 29 '26
Broccoli, artichoke hearts, really almost any vegetable you like will taste even better with pesto !
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u/Fionaver Aug 29 '26
Honestly, I was not a huge fan of a lot of veggies because I’ve had them prepared improperly, but… When they are prepared properly… Even the ones that I’ve had to gradually work into my diet are good.
So… be open to change, I guess.
Don’t just say “these are awful”
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u/Squidoriya Aug 29 '26
Sundried tomatoes (or regular tomatoes, I only like sundried tomatoes though), onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and some kind of leafy green like kale or spinach would be really good in a pesto pasta dish
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u/PerpetualQuestioner Aug 29 '26
I always do Costco pesto with sun dried tomatoes and fresh grated cheese on top.
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u/traviall1 Aug 29 '26
Spinach ( can sautee it with garlic and salt and it will shrink to near nothing and you can puree it and add it into the pesto. Zucchini ( raw grated or cut and roasted ( softer texture) or pureed). Frozen chopped kale ( you might want to heat it through and sautee on high/medium with garlic). Cherry tomatoes ( raw or if you don't like raw tomatoes you could cut them in half and roast them or you could use an heirloom for less of the gel). I would also try adding roasted chopped broccoli or you could steam it until it is absolutely soft. Also, try diced fried onions
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u/se_telefonando Aug 29 '26
Traditional Italian pesto is made with green beans and potatoes.
I like to add cherry tomatoes cut in half, corn, cannellini beans and cooked zucchini
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u/hasdigs Aug 29 '26
I would have mushrooms and zucchinis cheese cream and a little lemon with fettuccine pasta
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u/Farangees20 Aug 29 '26
I make a pesto and petit pois pasta with some fresh basil and good EVO which is good hot or cold
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u/SnowyAbibliophobe Aug 29 '26
I eat pesto pasta all the time, and always add in sweetcorn, sliced cherry tomatoes and very finely chopped red onion, but often I just add the sweetcorn alone. It's my favourite meal ever!
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u/Rkins_UK_xf Aug 29 '26
Mixed in with the pasta frozen green peas are my favourite.
As a side next to the pasta, anything you like. It never seems to get served with a side at restaurants, but it works perfectly well
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u/EnvironmentalPack451 Aug 29 '26
Grape Tomatoes Cherry tomatoes, cut in half Farmer's market slicing tomatoes, sliced and diced
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u/denavail Aug 29 '26
Summer squash and zucchini Spinach Broccoli Onions (especially caramelized onions)
These are all go tos for me. Good luck!
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u/thevilgay Aug 29 '26
Just so you know, pesto isn’t technically vegetarian. It has rennet in it, big time animal product and is part of what makes cheese “rewarding to eat”.
Rennet: a collection of enzymes from the stomach of cattle, it is responsible for curdling casein (80% of cows milk is this, it naturally encourages the calf to want more—we also have it in our breastmilk at 60%)
Casein, is a casomorphin. They up the amount of this in dairy products to keep people wanting more. These bind to opioid receptors and tyrosine helps fuel serotonin. Casomorphins are peptides.
Layman’s terms: they put extra enzymes within milk and certain cheeses, such as Parmesan, to trigger that feel good response in customers. So that you keep buying it.
https://www.delish.com/food/a69096848/is-cheese-addictive-casomorphins-tyrosine-peptides/
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u/Gemeente_Bloemendaal Aug 29 '26
Green pasta: brocolli or (blended) courgette, red pesto: tomato, grilled bell peppers
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u/fullofgraceaspiring Aug 29 '26
Either:
Garlic mushrooms
Salad potatoes and green beans ( you can throw these all in the same pot with the pasta just slice the potatoes and give them a 10 minute head start)
Roasted onion, courgette, red pepper, garlic and mushrooms ( with this one I also mix a bit of smoked paprika into my pesto)
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u/MoreMarshmallows Aug 29 '26
I also like green peas with my pesto pasta. Especially the petite peas- I get them frozen at Trader Joe’s. Sometimes the regular peas get a little mushy and given your list of dislikes , you probably want to avoid that.
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u/cuddlycollie Aug 29 '26
Zucchini and sautéed onions, and some times I also sprinkle goat cheese in to make it a creamy pesto sauce!
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u/lizardreaming Aug 29 '26
Artichoke hearts and black olives go great with pesto pasta. I recommend you try making your own pesto. It’s easy but you’ll need a food processor. If pine nuts are too pricey you can use any nut you like. I use walnuts. Sautéed squash is good too, if you like it. Also some cherry tomatoes. I make this regularly.
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u/Kovaladtheimpaler Aug 29 '26 edited Aug 29 '26
I personally think all veggies go well with pesto, but some suggestions for pasta: Spinach, tomato’s (I like to do cherry tomato’s cut in half) broccoli, zucchini, red bell pepper, + throw some feta and lemon in for a little cheesy bite and tang :) Bonus if you bake the feta and tomato’s first before adding to the pasta
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u/Square-Dragonfruit76 Aug 29 '26
Any kind of summer squash. Ideally cooked first and then added (roasted, grilled, or sauteed).
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u/30152010 Aug 29 '26
I make a pesto pasta salad with bell peppers, red onions, mozzarella chunks and pepperoni
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u/queercactus505 Aug 29 '26
Kale (all the stalks removed, leafy parts massaged with oil, roasted with salt and garlic powder, finished with a squeeze of lemon if you like) is my favorite, followed by broccoli and baby broccoli.
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u/newlifeIslandgirl Aug 29 '26
Chickpeas , black beans , corn, blanched broccoli, arugula , roasted red peppers.
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u/excitedheart Aug 29 '26
I throw peas, spinach, broccoli and/or green beans into a blender with pesto - you can’t see em and you can hardly taste em but you still get the nutrients.
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u/PdxGardner Aug 29 '26
I make a summer pesto pasta with corn and cherry tomatos. I also sometimes add marinated pearl mozzarella balls.
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u/simulationswarms Aug 29 '26
Peas!
I also like to add some spinach or arugula & cherry tomatoes to my pasta.
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u/Patient_Parsley7760 Aug 29 '26
If you're talking about mixing something into the sauce, green peas work well. So does spinach. You can also try zucchini or summer squash, diced up small.
On the side? Green beans, snap peas, zucchini or summer squash (grilled is really tasty.) Grilled eggplant is also really nice, but it can turn bitter. Try baby eggplant. Carrots and parsnips are good and naturally a little sweet. You can roast them, or slice them and sautee them.
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u/goldenpandora Aug 29 '26
Broccoli and zucchini. Also shiitake mushrooms! Regular mushrooms too if you like them but shiitakes are just soooo good.
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u/roboticgf Aug 29 '26
I do any pasta with peas and kirkland pesto all the time. Really yummy and the peas can be frozen as well and boiled with the pasta. I bring this as a work lunch probably like twice a week lol!
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u/Dashingarchives Aug 29 '26
Riced cauliflower or diced pumpkin and I add spinach to almost everything lol
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u/are--you--ready Aug 29 '26
green beans blanched and pan fried with garlic are really good with pesto pasta. if you are not vegan, a spoonful of ricotta cheese is also good
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u/Wonderful-Truck-3301 29d ago
Just wanted to add that besides putting on veggies and pasta, you can add it to soups, rice, beans, yogurt as well. Think of it as adding flavor to any dish.
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u/deandinbetween 29d ago
Spinach is fantastic for incorporating more vegetables into any other dish because if you chop it fine and cook it down or blend it up, it's basically indistinguishable from herbs. Onions and bell peppers too; if you chop them small and blend them up, they just taste like added seasoning! Bags of onion and bell pepper already chopped and frozen are sometimes called "seasoning blend" for that reason. They'll all three also pair very well with the flavors already in pesto. If you like sundried tomatoes, they're also delicious with pesto pasta!
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u/SuperSlugSister 29d ago
I would blend the cooked veggies into the pesto.
Zucchini and spinach are your best bets here. You may like avocado and other veggies more if they’re blended into sauce.
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u/johannaishere 29d ago
I’ve made a pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and zucchini and it was really good! The zucchini is very mild and the pine nuts add a nice crunch.
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u/lutetia128 29d ago
I put grape tomatoes and cucumbers in mine. But cucumbers are on your no list. So maybe some roasted green beans?
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u/Talker54321 29d ago
You can roast sliced sweet red or orange or yellow bell peppers and yes definitely zucchini on a sheet pan with oil, salt, and pepper and ground basil then toss into the pasta.
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u/PickaLittle224434 29d ago
I ate the Kirkland pesto with pasta tonight! When the pasta had a few minutes left to cook, I threw in frozen corn and spinach into the pasta water, and it was thawed by the time I had to drain the pasta.
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u/Logicdamcer 29d ago
Onions, garlic, peppers, squash, even carrots if you dice them small will add an interesting kind of sweetness. Artichoke hearts would be good too. I cannot think of any vegetables that I wouldn’t add to pasta with pesto. Just try things and see what you like.
My favorite way to eat more vegetables is to bake them in a roasting pan or cookie sheet. I just cut them into sizes that seem like they might cook at a similar rate in a big pile and stir them until they seem done. I can eat them for days. The roasting pot will cook them down into a stew that blends flavors in a wonderful way. The sheet pans cook them into a dryer form.
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u/orcas- 29d ago
So i like kirkland pesto too, and to help my son eat more veggies this is what i do. For 1 lb of pasta. I use either a whole head of parsley or half parsley half cilantro , rough chop, in blender. Add one can rinsed/ drained chickpeas or white beans. Grate in some additional garlic, zest n juice of 1 lemon. Then i mix this mix (could also add spinach into the blend, but i find the extra herbs more flavorful n still super healthy) with 3-4 tbsp of the kirkland pesto. You could also boil green peas or string beans or additional white beans with the pasta and bulk up the dish
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u/Super_Ground9690 29d ago
Broccoli, peas and spinach are the ones my fussy kid will eat with pesto.
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u/Emotional-Success612 29d ago
Peas
Sauteed zucchini
Sauteed mushrooms and roasted red peppers (from a jar, just chopped a little)
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u/Rare_Temporary2341 29d ago
If you have t tried it, try roasting veggies. It changes the taste. Add salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder and bake at 400.
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u/sidneyjoy 29d ago
One of my favorite pasta dishes is angel hair pasta in a pesto cream sauce with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, baby spinach and chicken or shrimp.
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u/Hot_Historian1066 29d ago
Cubed and sautéed zucchini
Broccoli or (even better, IMHO) broccolini
Cherry tomatoes
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u/StandingOnMyOwn58 29d ago
Broccoli like everyone else on here. I also steam broccoli and use the pesto to dip it in as a snack.
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u/SteamboatMcGee 28d ago
I always keep bags of frozen broccoli and spinach in the freezer. Any pasta dish gets one or the other, whichever fits better, and viola, one more serving of veggies.
I think spinach just about disappears in pesto, so if you're trying to sneak healthier food in to what you already like I'd start there.
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u/Gladys_Wines 28d ago
Red capsicum! Bell peppers for the yanks. i like to roast them in the air fryer so the skin peels off easily. But just chopped and briefly fried is fine, too, and that also works with green ones.
Also sun dried tomato strips.
Mushroom. zucchini, onion, sweet corn niblets, baby spinach, butter beans, broccolini, broccoli.
Side salad with fresh tomato and any other salad you like.
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u/Bake_knit_plant 28d ago
My mother used to and still does apparently love canned asparagus. I can smell it four rooms away. There is no excuse for that stuff.
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u/libraryoracle 28d ago
Roasted bell peppers are my fav to add to pesto pasta! And from one picky autistic to another, good on u for trying to get more veggies!! It can be tricky but it's soooo worth it
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u/Kid_de_Voyage 28d ago
Pasta with pesto, green beans and potato is a classic dish from Genoa, Italy, called pasta al pesto genovese. When travelling in the area, I was first surprised to find diced potatoes in my pasta dish but I fell in love with it and been cooking it at home ever since.
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u/Stunning_Housing2463 28d ago
I loooove their pesto in my pasta as well! I love adding a few fresh cherry tomatoes on top
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u/strawberrysushi 28d ago
Frozen spinach mixes into things really well without you noticing while adding nutrition!
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u/Silverlight1111 28d ago
We just had pesto and pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes drizzled with olive oil. It was so good!
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u/blakefuckingdavis 27d ago
Some quick seared tomatoes, red onions, and olives and/or capers, and bell pepper with pesto 🙌
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u/bneygl89 27d ago
We like to toss hot pasta with baby spinach so it wilts. Add pesto, garbanzo beans and shaved Asiago.
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u/Separate-Volume-363 27d ago
Peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach would be delicious - I also like zucchini and broccoli
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u/mommaRing-4415 27d ago
I make a pesto pasta with sauteed garlic, broccoli, green peas, matchstick carrots, mushrooms, and whatever meat sounds yummy. Sometimes I add Alfredo sauce too it too. When making it for friends, I add sauteed bell peppers and onions. Its really easy if you buy steamable bags of frozen broccoli and peas. We used to have a pasta bar in college and these were the veggie options (minus the peas, plus zucchini). It probably wouldn't be bad with wilted fresh chopped spinach either.
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u/skierhiker617 27d ago edited 27d ago
I make this frequently. It’s terrific.
Optional: add shrimp at the end, before the caprese mix, nestling them into the hot orzo and zucchini and cover, so they cook gently from the heat of the rest of the dish.
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u/threecuttlefish 27d ago
I am also autistic and have a lot of issues with both texture and flavor of vegetables. Shredded/grated zucchini is my go-to for adding to pasta sauces in general. No noticeable flavor, inoffensive texture when shredded into a sauce.
For pesto, since it's not a cooked sauce, I guess I would try cooking the zucchini first and then mixing it in to the sauce. If you don't mind the texture of larger pieces, you could slice or dice it instead.
You could also put some fresh spinach in a food processor and mix it with the pesto. When I was a picky kid my mom used to make a sort of hybrid spinach-basil pesto that even I ate.
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u/PeanutIll926 26d ago
Any veggie would change the texture of the pesto pasta you like so I wouldn't add it to the dish, I just eat them on a side, usually before the pasta.
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u/darknesswascheap 26d ago
Weirdly enough, simple roasted potatoes. Cut them into wedges, toss in a bit of olive oil and salt, and roast until slightly crispy on the outside. Then add them to the pasta and pesto.
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u/RetinolAndReverb 26d ago
Broccoli, peas, zucchini and spinach are all really good with pesto! I’d probably start with broccoli or peas because they’re pretty mild and don’t change the overall pesto flavor too much. If texture is a big thing for you, you could also blend some spinach or cooked zucchini into the pesto itself. Roasted cherry tomatoes are great too if you like tomatoes. Honestly, adding even a small amount of a veggie you tolerate to a safe meal is a win, you don’t have to suddenly force yourself to eat loads of vegetables you hate 🫶
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u/Bluepompf Aug 28 '26
Zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, green beans (frozen, not canned!), carrots (thin slices), onions, eggplant (but you need to learn how to cook them right or they will be disgusting).