Easy Vegetarian Pesto Pasta Bake

Baked pesto pasta topped with burrata and herbs in a ceramic casserole pan.

Easy Vegetarian Pesto Pasta Bake

This creamy pesto pasta bake made with Alfredo-style white sauce and pesto is an absolute game-changer! It’s a comforting, vegetarian baked pasta recipe loaded with veggies, and a dreamy blend of cheese like mozzarella, Parmesan, and burrata. Better yet, you can pull it together in under 60 minutes, making it perfect for cozy weeknight dinners — or even for your holiday table.

Course Main Course, pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 493.02kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

1 pan
1 baking dish

Ingredients

To Cook The Pasta

1 lb pasta any variety
water
salt

To Make White Sauce

1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1.48 oz Alfredo sauce mix

To Make Pesto Pasta

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon pine nuts
1 cup small onion, finely chopped
2-3 green chillies or a jalapeno
2 cups spinach
7 oz pesto
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
crushed black pepper
salt

To Make Pesto Pasta Bake

2 balls burrata cheese
6 oz mozzarella cheese
½ cup milk only if required

Instructions

To Cook The Pasta

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
Drain well and set aside.

To Make White Sauce

Warm the milk and butter in the same saucepan over medium heat, stirring gently until the butter fully melts and the dairy base becomes silky.
Whisk in the Alfredo sauce mix, making sure it dissolves completely into the warm milk-butter blend.
Continue cooking for 4–5 minutes, stirring periodically, until the mixture thickens and transforms into a lush, velvety white sauce.
Transfer the finished white sauce to a bowl and set aside.

To Make Pesto Pasta

Heat olive oil in a pan and lightly toast the pine nuts until they turn golden and fragrant. Then add finely chopped onions and minced green chillies, sautéing until the onions turn soft and translucent.
Stir in the chopped spinach and cook for about 2 minutes, or until it wilts and blends into the aromatics.
Add the pesto and homemade white sauce, mixing well. Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes to create a creamy, herby pasta sauce. Priya's Tip: If the sauce feels too thick, splash in ½ cup of milk to loosen it.
Season with red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and little salt.
Then fold in the cooked pasta until every piece is evenly coated with the creamy pesto sauce.
Finish with grated Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss everything together, taste, and adjust the salt if needed before taking it off the heat.

To Make Pesto Pasta Bake

Grease a baking dish with butter.
If your dish isn’t large enough, divide the pasta into two batches. Spread the creamy pesto pasta evenly in the dish. Priya'sTip: If the pasta looks dry, pour ½ cup of warm milk over it to keep it moist while baking.
Since this recipe bakes in two batches, top the first batch with half of the mozzarella and one broken burrata. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Priya's Tip: You don’t need to cover the dish, but you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil if you prefer.
After the set time, switch the oven to broil. Broil for an additional minute or two to get a beautifully golden top. Take it out and serve. Repeat with the remaining pasta, or freeze that batch to bake later.

Notes

You can make this baked pesto pasta with either green basil pesto or red pesto made from sun-dried tomatoes — both homemade and store-bought work great. If you’re in the mood to experiment, swap the pesto for chimichurri, olive tapenade, or even jarred bruschetta for a fun, flavorful twist. I baked mine in two batches because of the size of my dish, but if you have a large casserole dish, you can bake it all at once. To turn this into a true one-pot pesto pasta bake, simply use a large oven-safe skillet and take it straight from stovetop to oven.

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