Pesto Squash Noodles and Spaghetti with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Homemade pesto tossed with squash noodles and spaghetti, topped with burst cherry tomatoes. This vegetarian recipe is easily made vegan and/or gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Not long ago, while Cookie and I were out walking, I watched an older lady cross paths with another woman and her dog. I realized that the women were strangers. Dogs have a way of bringing people together, you know? As we walked up, my gray-haired neighbor was asking permission to pet the big, slobbery mastiff. Then came the usual, “What kind of dog is that?” question.
Three single women, two dogs, one neighborhood intersection on a warm summer evening. We all started swapping laughs and sighs about our pups’ peculiarities as Cookie wiggle-waggled over to the older lady. She fawned over Cookie and admitted that she recently lost her 15-year-old collie. We expressed our condolences. The other woman mentioned her current mastiff’s beloved predecessor and suggested, “Why don’t you get another?” The older lady confessed that it was too much, too hard to lose an ever-present companion, that it’s just the worst. My heart broke for her. I get it. Maybe you get it, too. It is terrifying to love another being so much.
Cookie hopped the fence on Wednesday afternoon. I let her come outside with me while I was talking to my friend on the phone. I watched in horror as she made one impressive, graceful, vertical leap over the chain-link fence to pursue a bunny.
Ten, fifteen, I don’t know how many minutes passed while I was frantically shrieking her name out the car windows and flagging down neighbors. Finally, my phone rang. Cookie was safe at the bank, of all places. Whether for safety or cash for the road, Cookie had run inside the bank. Her new friends were feeding her treats in the conference room when I got there.
I worry about this little rascal’s safety all day, every day. We can’t have another accident. I think we need to move back to an apartment with double doors, either now or when my lease is up. Ironically, I lied about having a back yard when I adopted Cookie. I’m not proud of it. I wanted Cookie and I knew I could take good care of her. Anyway, they were wrong about the backyard requirement. She’s definitely better off in a safe, secure space and long, daily walks. I’m sad to say that she’ll be exploring the backyard on a retractible leash from now on.
I don’t have a good transition here, from dogs to pasta, other than an apology for being a downer today. I threw together this dish for lunch last week with leftover arugula pesto from my pizza. It’s very similar to last summer’s cilantro-pepita pesto pasta concept, but I topped it with delicious burst cherry tomatoes. I can’t claim that it’s a totally original recipe—Beth and Sarah have beautiful, similar zucchini noodle recipes—but are any recipes truly original at this point? Tomatoes and pesto were made for each other!
I’m a pesto-loving arugula fiend, but if you take away anything from my pesto recipes, I hope it’s that it’s impossible to go wrong with pesto. Kale pecan pesto, cilantro hemp pesto, traditional basil… almost any blend of herbs or greens and nuts or seeds is guaranteed to delight. Top it off with quick-cooked cherry tomatoes for a filling summer dinner.
Pesto Squash Noodles and Spaghetti with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Homemade pesto tossed with raw squash noodles and spaghetti, topped with burst cherry tomatoes. This vegetarian recipe is easily made vegan and/or gluten free (see recipe notes). This recipe is saucy—you could stretch it to accommodate ½ pound spaghetti or an extra zucchini, if you’d like. Recipe yields 4 servings, which would be great served with big green salads!
Ingredients
Pesto
- 2 cups packed fresh arugula and/or basil (about 3 ounces), tough stems removed
- ½ cup sliced shelled pecans
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Squash noodles and spaghetti
- 1 medium zucchini, julienne
- 1 medium yellow squash, julienne
- ⅓ pound (a little over 5 ounces) whole grain spaghetti or linguine
Burst tomatoes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or ¾ pound small tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
- Pinch of fine salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut off the tough ends of the squash and remove any discolored skin with a paring knife. Use a julienne peeler (or regular peeler) to slice the squash lengthwise, one side at a time. Stop once you get to the seeded part, then turn the squash to work on the next side.
- Toast the pecans: In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans, while stirring frequently, until they’re nice and fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pecans to a bowl to cool.
- To make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the arugula/basil, cooled pecans, Parmesan, garlic and salt. Pulse while drizzling in the olive oil. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
- Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot.
- Cook the tomatoes: First, slice about 5 of the tomatoes into thin rounds and reserve them for later. In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil and red pepper flakes (if using). Once the oil is shimmering, add the whole cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Let the tomatoes cook, stirring occasionally, until they are blistered in spots and starting to pop, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, lightly crushing the tomatoes with the back of a big spoon or silicone spatula, until they are beginning to break down, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sliced tomatoes.
- To assemble the pasta: Combine the pasta and squash noodles in a serving bowl. Add most of the pesto and a couple tablespoons pasta water. Toss to combine, adding more pesto or pasta water until the noodles are sufficiently coated in pesto. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, if desired. Divide the noodles into individual bowls and top with cherry tomatoes. I finished mine with a sprinkle of Parmesan and another twist of freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my arugula-almond pesto, cilantro-pepita pesto with squash ribbons and Bon Appetit’s linguine with burst tomatoes and chili peppers.
Make it vegan/dairy free: Omit the Parmesan altogether or add nutritional yeast, to taste, in its place.
Make it gluten free: Use your favorite gluten-free noodles or use only squash noodles (you would need about 5 to 6 squash in total).
Make it nut free: Substitute pepitas for the pecans or omit the nuts altogether for an herby olive oil sauce.
Storage suggestions: Pesto is best consumed immediately after making. It oxidizes with air exposure, so store it separately from other components, with plastic wrap pressed against the top.
Change it up: Use any pesto you like, whether homemade or store-bought. During cooler months, non-starchy roasted vegetables would be a great substitute for the tomatoes.
Recommended equipment: I love my Kuhn Rikon julienne peeler.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
P.s. The site seems to be struggling to stay live today, but I’m working on it. Please be patient!
Thank you for your sympathy. I guess I read somewhere Cookie was a Tulsan and have wandered into Pet-whatever on Saturday morning when they do the find a dog a home thing looking for a Cookie clone. But we both know there is only one Cookie and it will be rare to find one as cute.
It’s true, she’s one of a kind. It took some searching to find her. If you decide to bring another canine friend into your life, I’m sure you will find the perfect pup. xo.
I never comment on blogs, but I have to tell you – this recipe is awesome. I also made your chickpea-farro salad and it was delicious. I recently moved to NYC from the midwest and having some great home-cooked recipes makes the transition easier. Thanks for a delicious recipe – completely satisfying and equally tasty.
Hooray! Thank you very much, Alyssa! Hope you feel at home in your new city soon.
Tonight is the third time I’ve had this for dinner. There’s always leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. This is a great recipe. Using quinoa pasta (I’ve used both linguine and shells) adds, in my opinion, a little more texture to it.
Cookie is great! I’ve two cats and I totally know about worrying about pets.
Love the blog. :-)
Hi Ana! Thanks for commenting. I’m so glad you’re loving this recipe! You’ve inspired me to pick up some quinoa pasta at the store. I’ve never tried it.
Saving this recipe to try later!! Looks so delicious!
Yummy. Made if for dinner tonight. I might make it tomorrow again. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
Thank you, Poli! Glad you enjoyed it!
I have been dying to try this, recipe for so long, your pictures are so beautiful and it was incredible!!! Worth the wait!! It is definitely one of my favorite recipes.
I have never made pesto with aragula before and it was a nice change. Delicious!!! Thank you Kate!
Yay! This is one of my favorites, too, Cecilia. So glad you enjoyed it!
Didn’t think twice about whipping this one up for tonight since all I had to buy were the zucchinis and tomatoes. I made it vegan with nutritional yeast and OH MY this is an amazing recipe. So simple! You are quickly becoming my favorite food blogger! Can’t wait to share this creation with my loves. Thanks <3
Thank you so much, Lauren! Happy to hear it!
This recipe is divine! I’m a newlywed looking for easy, but delicious recipes and this was exactly it; my husband loved it! Plus I just planted basil…making a perfect excuse to make this all the time!
Thanks, Grace! Happy to hear it!
I just discovered your website this past weekend, while searching for banana bread, which turned out delicious…thank you! I’m about to make this, thanks for sharing such fantastic recipes.
Thank you for saying hi, Gill! I’m so glad you found my site. :)
I can’t wait to try this recipe! A question: do you cook or blanch the squash/zucchini to soften it up or not?
I haven’t yet made any of these recipes, but just wanted to let you know that I just ordered your book. I didn’t even bother to read the reviews. I love your site and wanted to lend you some support.
Thank you so much, Sandy! I hope you love the book.
Could I use cashews or seeds or some other replacement for the Pecans? My father is allergic to most types of nuts. Thanks!
You could try sunflower seeds? Let me know how that works for you, Tristin!
This is a fabulous dish! It is like summer exploding in your mouth.
I did have trouble getting the tomatoes to burst, though.
Hi, so for the squash and zucchini are they not cooked at all?
Hi! No need to cook the zucchini. I hope you try it!
Hi Kate,
Delicious recipe!! Used the nutritional yeast idea and it’s wonderful! I put nutritional yeast on popcorn and it’s better than butter;)
Thanks for ALL your delicious recipes in your newsletter and your cookbook!!
Dee