Craving Italian flavors, but don’t want a bowl full of pasta? A big bowl of this cheesy Quinoa with Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes is exactly what you need to make.
Quinoa mixed with ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese, pesto, spinach, and topped with Italian roasted tomatoes will make your taste buds dance. This dish is bursting with flavor.
If you're a pasta lover, keep the Italian-theme going with spicy spaghetti arrabiata or, for more quinoa bowls, try this taco bowl with cashew cheese sauce.
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My husband and I love cooking this meal together because we each have our own task and don’t step on each other’s toes in the kitchen. His task is to cook quinoa and mine is to roast tomatoes to perfection.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- It's simple and quick. Have this easy vegetarian dish on your dinner table in 30 minutes.
- Quinoa is a gluten-free grain with superfood status. It contains all eight essential amino acids, making it a complete source of protein. It also provides a great range of minerals, B vitamins, and omega 6 fatty acids.
- Put all of these ingredients together and you've got a dish that's both healthy and indulgent.
Ingredients
Find full measurements in the recipe card.
- Quinoa - cooks in a similar way to rice and has a mild nutty flavor. Quinoa is my go-to grain because it's full of health benefits and you can add so much flavor to it.
- Broth - to cook the quinoa in. To make this dish fully vegetarian, use vegetable broth or water.
- Pesto - use jarred pesto or homemade
- Mozzarella cheese
- Cherry tomatoes
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic
- Spinach
- Butter
- Breadcrumbs
How to Make Pesto with Quinoa & Roasted Tomatoes
This easy, vegetarian pesto bowl is made up of two main parts: pesto quinoa mixed with spinach and mozzarella topped with Italian roasted tomatoes.
Step 1: Cook quinoa according to directions. Add fresh spinach, pesto, and cheese to the cooked quinoa and set aside. Note: You can cook quinoa on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
Step 2: Slice cherry tomatoes in half and add them to a medium sized baking dish along with olive oil, garlic, and dried herbs. Broil for 10 minutes to soften and blister the tomato skins.
Step 3: While tomatoes are broiling, melt butter. In a small bowl, mix melted butter and panko breadcrumbs together. Add breadcrumb mixture to the top of the tomatoes and broil for another 3 minutes to brown the breadcrumbs and form a crunchy crust.
Assemble bowl: Add the pesto quinoa mixture to a bowl and top it with the roasted Italian tomatoes. To add a bit more crunch to this dish, you can add toasted pine nuts as well. And, of course, I’m a cheese lover, so I add lots of grated parmesan cheese on top.
Storage
You can store leftover quinoa and tomatoes in the same bowl or separately. Keep in an airtight contain in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
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Quinoa with Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes
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Equipment
- Saucepot
- Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups quinoa uncooked
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 5 cups spinach
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 7 ounces pesto
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
Pesto Quinoa
- In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and broth to a boil. Cover saucepan with a lid and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from heat, leave the lid on, and let stand covered for 3 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Fluff quinoa with a fork.
- Add spinach to the quinoa and stir for 1-2 minutes to allow spinach to wilt.
- Stir in pesto and mozzarella cheese. Mix well.
Roasted Tomatoes
- Preheat broiler.
- Slice cherry tomatoes in half and add them to a medium sized baking dish along with olive oil, garlic, and dried herbs. Stir to mix.
- Broil tomatoes for about 10 minutes. Stirring once halfway through.
- While the tomatoes are broiling, mix melted butter and breadcrumbs together in a bowl.
- Take tomatoes out of the oven and sprinkle the butter and breadcrumb mixture on top of the tomatoes. Broil again for 3 minutes until the breadcrumbs are turn light brown and crunchy.
- To assemble this dish, add pesto quinoa to a bowl and top with roasted tomato mixture. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts, if desired.
Notes
- You can cook the quinoa in an Instant Pot instead of the stovetop method.
- For added protein, top the bowl with sliced roasted or grilled chicken.
- To make this vegan, omit the cheese or use vegan cheese.
- For added spice, add ¼-1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the tomato mixture before broiling.
- Top this dish with parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts for an added crunch.
Katerina
Oh yum!! Quinoa by itself can be a bit bland but dressed like this it looks absolutely amazing! I love the nutritional value in quinoa so always looking for new ways to eat it, and this is definitely going onto my list. Thanks so much for sharing!