Healthy Recipes Main Dishes Healthy Pasta Main Dish Recipes 22 Healthy Pesto Pasta Recipes to Make for Dinner This Week By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on April 21, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco One of these flavorful and healthy pesto pasta dishes is just what you’ll want on the dinner table this week. Whether it’s made from basil, sun-dried tomatoes or other herbs and veggies, pesto can be the flavorful kick that makes your meal extra-delicious. Use your favorite store-bought jar to make our Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes. Or, make your very own pesto with recipes like our Skillet Salmon with Orzo & Green Pea Pesto. 01 of 22 Chicken & Vegetable Penne with Parsley-Walnut Pesto Homemade pesto may seem daunting, but in this quick pasta recipe you can make a simple sauce in minutes while the pasta water comes to a boil. You can substitute frozen green beans and cauliflower for fresh; in Step 4, cook the frozen vegetables according to package directions before tossing with the pasta and pesto. View Recipe 02 of 22 One-Skillet Salmon with Fennel & Sun-Dried Tomato Couscous Sun-dried tomato pesto and lemon do double duty to season both the salmon and the couscous in this healthy one-pan dinner recipe. Serve the salmon with extra lemon wedges and a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired. View Recipe 03 of 22 Turkey, Pesto & Broccoli Pasta This easy pasta recipe is a weeknight dinner lifesaver. While shelf-stable pesto will work here, we prefer the fresh flavor and more vibrant color of refrigerated pesto. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your supermarket, near the fresh pasta and marinara sauce. View Recipe 04 of 22 Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes This easy ravioli recipe calls for just five ingredients but is loaded with fresh flavors. By using grape tomatoes, prewashed spinach and prepared pesto, we eliminate all prep work, making this 15-minute Caprese-inspired ravioli the ideal weeknight meal. View Recipe 05 of 22 Skillet Salmon with Orzo & Green Pea Pesto Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco This delightful one-pan dinner combines salmon fillets with fresh green pea pesto and orzo pasta. Green pea pesto adds a unique twist to the traditional pesto, bringing a hint of sweetness, body and a vibrant green color to your plate. If you like a more traditional pesto flavor, swap out the dill for chopped fresh basil, or use store-bought basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto in its place. View Recipe 06 of 22 One-Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta with Asparagus This healthy chicken pesto pasta recipe is easy to make thanks to convenience ingredients like rotisserie chicken and store-bought pesto. The addition of fresh asparagus brightens up the look and flavors of this easy one-pot dinner. Fresh basil, if you have it on hand, is a nice finishing touch. View Recipe 07 of 22 Slow-Cooker Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pasta Bake Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell This simple vegetarian pasta bake is rich in protein and comes together effortlessly in the slow cooker, for a convenient one-pot meal. The combination of sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato pesto and plenty of veggies delivers a mix of sweet and savory flavors with every bite. Feel free to replace the sun-dried tomato pesto with basil pesto, offering a fresh twist on the dish. View Recipe 08 of 22 One-Pot Italian Sausage & Kale Pasta Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Sammy Mila For a fast weeknight pasta dinner, why not cook your sauce and pasta all at once? By using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta—no colanders here—the starch that cooks off into your pasta water, which you usually drain away, stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results. View Recipe 09 of 22 Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl A creamy pesto sauce with sweet shallots and wilted spinach gives a light and bright spin to classic tuna noodle casserole. Albacore tuna is an ideal choice, as it holds its texture well once mixed in, although any water-packed tuna will do the job. For the best results, we recommend using refrigerated pesto for its fresh flavor which enhances the overall dish. View Recipe 10 of 22 Lemon-Garlic Chicken Penne with Pesto and Spinach Fresh pesto brilliantly compliments the lemon and garlic flavors of this juicy chicken dinner. View Recipe 11 of 22 Chickpea Pasta with Lemony-Parsley Pesto We love using chickpea pasta in this quick and easy dinner recipe, but other bean pastas or whole-wheat noodles are just as good with this fresh and zesty pesto sauce. View Recipe 12 of 22 Trapanese Pesto Pasta & Zoodles with Salmon Trapanese pesto is the Sicilian version of the sauce that uses tomatoes and almonds instead of pine nuts. This savory pesto sauce coats low-carb zucchini noodles and heart-healthy seared salmon to create an absolutely delicious pasta dinner. View Recipe 13 of 22 Chicken & Asparagus Skillet Pasta with Pesto Fresh lemon juice, tangy sun-dried tomatoes and zippy pesto tie together the flavors in this quick and easy skillet meal. The 30-minute dinner is so versatile--you can use any quick-cooking protein or vegetable you have on hand and still have a delicious meal on busy weeknights. View Recipe 14 of 22 Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad This cold pesto pasta salad will cool you off on a summer day. Fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers add a pop of bright color and juiciness here, but any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too. View Recipe 15 of 22 Simple Vegan Pesto Zoodles Zucchini noodles, or "zoodles," are a gluten-free, low-calorie substitute for traditional pasta in this easy and fresh vegan dinner. For best results, toss the zucchini pasta with the basil pesto sauce and serve right away. View Recipe 16 of 22 Pasta Salad with Arugula-Lemon Pesto If you want proof that school gardens help create sophisticated and adventurous eaters, look no further. Just say "arugula-lemon pesto" to yourself and marvel that the origin of this pasta salad recipe is a cookbook that is an offshoot of school garden programs in Vermont. Recipe adapted from VT Feed. View Recipe 17 of 22 Seared Salmon with Pesto Fettuccine The brightness of basil pesto is a nice match for the buttery flavor of salmon in this quick and healthy dinner recipe. Refrigerated pesto, found near fresh sauces and salsas at most stores, is prettier and has a better taste than jarred. View Recipe 18 of 22 Pesto Shrimp Pasta Using a packaged pesto sauce mix saves time in this 20-minute orzo pasta salad recipe. View Recipe 19 of 22 Spaghetti & Zucchini Noodles with Basil-Walnut Pesto Basil is the backbone of this vibrant no-cook basil-walnut pesto sauce. Toss in some leftover roast chicken or pork with these zucchini noodles for a heartier meal. View Recipe 20 of 22 Pesto Pasta Salad A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly. View Recipe 21 of 22 Basil Pesto Pasta with Grilled Vegetables This dish is an easy way to turn grilled vegetables into a satisfying meal, thanks to hearty whole-grain pasta and a quick homemade pesto. View Recipe 22 of 22 Whole-Grain Orzo & Grilled Vegetable Salad This lovely Mediterranean orzo salad is rich with basil, grilled vegetables and tender fresh mozzarella cheese. The combination of vegetables, vinaigrette and fresh basil is a perfect base for the orzo and the cheese. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit