I’m not going to lie, I deeply procrastinated on writing this post, not because I wasn’t excited to talk about this pasta (trust me it’s gooooood) but because I came down with the MOST OUTRAGEOUS cold on the planet. It went from worse to can’t breathe kind of cold and lasted for a straight week.

I was pretty much glued to the couch this entire past weekend with my bestie Sarah. We had a FULL itinerary planned for our girl’s weekend, but pretty much weren’t able to do anything because I was almost dead.

Instead we abandoned all of our super cool plans, stayed in and watched Insecure, ordered sushi and Thai in two nights straight and baked cookies. Sarah even brought her Emergen-C packets to brunch on Saturday while I walked around smelling like Vick’s. Perfect weekend of doing absolutely nothing. And we loved it.

Before my sickness got crazy, we did get to check out Aire, the new ancient bath houses in Chicago! The eucalyptus steam room was INSANE and such a relaxing experience.

Ingredients in mediterranean pasta

This CRAZY GOOD MEDITERRANEAN PASTA RECIPE has goat cheese, roasted veggies and a creamy cashew pesto. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Veggies: we’re using eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onion and grape tomatoes (if you’d like).
• Oil: you’ll want avocado oil or olive oil for roasting up those delicious veggies.
• Seasonings: just a bit of garlic powder, salt & pepper throughout the recipe.
• Cashews: feel free to use raw cashew or cashew butter for the base of the delicious cashew pesto.
• Basil leaves: for that fresh pesto flavor.
• Pasta: I love using cellentani or cavatappi (these little swirls) but you can use any pasta variety you’d like, including whole wheat or gluten free pasta.
• Goat cheese: a bit of goat cheese adds an irresistible creamy, tangy flavor to the mediterranean pasta.

How to make roasted veggie mediterranean pasta

1. First, roast your veggies. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the veggies between two trays, then drizzle each with 1 tablespoon of oil and a sprinkle garlic powder and salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Toss together to coat the veggies, then spread out evenly on each pan. Roast for 15 minutes, then stir the veggies and rotate the pans and bake for 15 minutes more until veggies are tender.
3. While the veggies are roasting, you can make the pesto: add the following to the bowl of a food processor or high powered blender: cashews, basil avocado/olive oil, salt and water to thin. Process until thick, but smooth. Set aside.
4. Next, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package until it’s al dente. Drain, then add back to the pot.
5. Fold in the pesto, roasted veggies and half of the goat cheese. Divide into bowls or meal prep containers, garnish with remaining goat cheese and extra basil leaves, if desired. Serves 4.

See how to make the mediterranean pasta:

This pasta was my effort to please Tony’s pasta loving taste buds and still satisfy my craving for veggies.

And to be honest, I LOVE pesto and goat cheese so that got thrown into the mix too. I put it into a tupperware for Tony to find and guess what? A day later a few pieces of roasted zucchini and two curly pasta pieces remain. #TYPICAL

Customize this easy mediterranean pasta

• Make it vegan by simply leave off the goat cheese or use a vegan cheese.
• Add your favorite protein. this would be delicious with grilled chicken, chickpeas, shrimp or even tofu!
• Use what you have on-hand. Feel free to mix up the veggies here, add olives for a delicious saltiness, or swap the goat cheese for feta or grated parmesan.
• Try a new grain. This recipe would be delicious using quinoa or farro, too!

How to store mediterranean pasta

Store this healthy roasted veggie mediterranean pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It’s delicious eaten hot or cold, so feel free to dig in straight from the fridge or warm it up a bit in the microwave!

Honestly, if you love pasta, then you’re going to love this veggie packed meal. It’s incredibly flavorful, easy to make, easily gluten free and wonderful served either warm or cold.

Ways to enjoy this recipe:

• Meal prep it for lunch
• Take it to a party
• Make it for your pasta loving significant other (or yoself)
• Make it for a fancy dinner party and add grilled chicken or chickpeas

If you make this healthy mediterranean pasta recipe be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation! You can also leave a comment below and rate the recipe. Thank you for making AK recipes!

Roasted Veggie Mediterranean Pasta with Goat Cheese

5 from 12 votes

Leave A Review Print Recipe

Course Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword easy, mediterranean pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Serves 4

Bright and flavorful roasted veggie mediterranean pasta with goat cheese is the perfect vegetarian meal! This easy mediterranean pasta recipes is packed with fresh veggies, tossed in a delicious cashew pesto sauce and perfect served warm or cold as a pasta salad. Customize or serve with your fav proteins for a full meal!

Ingredients

• For the veggies:
• 1 baby eggplant, sliced and quartered
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, cut into chunks
• Optional: 1 package grape tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Freshly ground salt and pepper
• For the cashew pesto:
• ¼ cup cashews OR 2 tablespoons cashew butter
• 1 cup basil leaves (from 1 oz package)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2-3 tablespoons warm water, to thin
• For the pasta:
• 2 ½ cups (8 oz) cellentani pasta (or pasta of choice -- can use whole wheat or gluten free)
• ½ cup goat cheese crumbles, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the veggies between two trays, then drizzle each with 1 tablespoon of oil and a sprinkle garlic powder and salt and pepper, to taste. 
2. Toss together to coat the veggies, then spread out evenly on each pan. Roast for 15 minutes, then stir the veggies and rotate the pans and bake for 15 minutes more until veggies are tender.
3. While the veggies are roasting, you can make the pesto: add the following to the bowl of a food processor or high powered blender: cashews, basil avocado/olive oil, salt and water to thin. Process until thick, but smooth. Set aside.
4. Next, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package until it’s al dente. Drain, then add back to the pot. 
5. Fold in the pesto, roasted veggies and half of the goat cheese. Divide into bowls or meal prep containers, garnish with remaining goat cheese and extra basil leaves, if desired. Serves 4.

Recipe Notes

This is a great dish for leftovers or meal prepping.

To store: store this roasted veggie mediterranean pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It's delicious eaten hot or cold, so feel free to dig in straight from the fridge or warm it up a bit in the microwave!

Nutrition

Servings: 4 servings

Serving size: 1 serving

Calories: 498kcal

Fat: 21.8g

Saturated fat: 4.7g

Carbohydrates: 65.4g

Fiber: 7.8g

Sugar: 11.4g

Protein: 13.4g

More healthy lunches and side dishes to try:

Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto & Goat Cheese

Roasted Veggie, Chickpea & Pesto Quinoa Salad

Avocado Tomato Chickpea Pasta Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

Chicken Kale Waldorf Salad with Avocado & Goat Cheese