One Pot Tomato Pesto Pasta – a delicious 30 minute dinner. Use store-bought or homemade pesto and add shaved parmesan cheese to make this easy pasta dish!
This one pot tomato pesto pasta recipe is a year-round recipe but it’s particularly perfect for the summer and fall seasons. The times of year when tomato vines are lush and ripe and your basil plant is producing a vast number of leaves.
Ahhh, there is nothing better than adding fresh vegetables and herbs to your dinner.
But, luckily, both tomatoes, basil, and pre-made pesto can be found at grocery stores. Making this easy one pot recipe delicious every month of the year.
One Pot Tomato and Pesto Pasta
I have made a slew of popular one pot recipes in the past. My one pot spicy sausage skillet is one of the most popular recipes on my website and is often what I use as my base when experimenting in the one-pot recipe world.
My favorite part about this is that you can use store-bought pesto. In fact, I don’t include a recipe for pesto because I almost always just buy it instead of making it from scratch.
Using store-bought pesto makes this one of the quickest recipes ever with next to no prep work. Bam. Everyone’s a winner with a full belly after going back for seconds for sure.
Colorful cherry or grape tomatoes are my tomatoes of choice – feel free to use your favorite. Though if you don’t like the colorful tomatoes, I don’t think we can be friends. Just kidding. Maybe.
I have an obsession with freshly shaved parmesan but if you decide to use grated parmesan, only use a little bit. I really like the way the pesto and parmesan compliment each other but parmesan can easily overwhelm this pasta dish.
Serve this pasta with some red wine and a salad and some crusty bread.
What can I add to this pesto pasta dish?
You could add more tomatoes, basil, and parmesan or any of these other examples:
- shredded rotisserie chicken
- fresh mozzarella balls
- burrata
- olive oil drizzle
- asparagus
- sweet bell peppers
- crushed red pepper flakes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 16 ounces uncooked penne
- 2.5 cups chicken broth
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes cut in half (about 2 cups)
- ⅔ cup pesto
- ¼ cup shaved parmesan
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the penne, chicken broth and cherry tomatoes. Stir and bring the liquid to a boil, then cook for 10 minutes. Occasionally stir and make sure the noodles are covered with the liquid.
- When the noodles are firm, but cooked, add the pesto. Stir to combine and heat for an additional minute.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle the parmesan on top before serving.
Jamie
Tuesday 22nd of December 2015
Yum - that looks amazing and easy, my favorite!! Thank you for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty
LizZ H.
Tuesday 15th of December 2015
This looks absolutely AMAZING!! I love one pot wonders.
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist
Monday 14th of December 2015
I love one pot meals and when they are delicious like this one, I'm in heaven.
Serene @ House of Yumm
Friday 11th of December 2015
Love one pot meals! This sounds fantastic with or without the chicken :)
Renee - Kudos Kitchen
Friday 11th of December 2015
Such a simple and delicious one pot pasta meal. I love it!