Parsley Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Lima Beans

Last week, I had to make a quick overnight trip to Philadelphia for a memorial service.  I had a bunch of parsley leftover in the fridge from my garlicky lentil soup that I knew would go bad while I was away.  I decided to make a parsley pesto to toss with some pasta.  While this would be delicious alone, I decided to roast some grape tomatoes and add some frozen lima beans to make this dish a little more nutritious and flavorful.

First, I got to work on the tomatoes.  I pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees and tossed the grape tomatoes in some herbs de Provence olive oil in an aluminum foil-lined baking dish. 

When the oven was ready, I let the grape tomatoes bake for about twelve minutes until the tomatoes began to burst.

I then put a pot of water seasoned with salt on the stove to boil.  While the water was boiling, I got to work on my parsley pesto.  I like making parsley pesto because it is a quick and easy way to use up leftover parsley.  I didn't measure out my ingredients (parsley, Parmesan cheese, walnuts, salt, pepper and olive oil) this time around, but you can use my recipe for parsley pesto if you need exact measurements.

Once the pesto was done, I set it aside. 

I cooked some whole wheat spaghetti in the water and also dropped a handful of frozen lima beans into the water as well.  When the pasta was done, I drained the spaghetti and lima beans but reserved a half cup of the pasta water.  I returned the spaghetti and lima beans to the pot.

I added the roasted tomatoes to the pot.

And I finally added the pesto and the pasta water and gave everything a mix.  I served the pasta with another sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

This was a quick and easy lunch that helped me use up some ingredients before my trip to Philadelphia.  Plus, I made plenty of pasta so that there were leftovers for dinner when we returned on Thursday evening.  The tomatoes added both acidity and sweetness, while the lima beans added some crunch and protein.  I love how fresh everything tasted and I know there will be more dishes like this coming as farmers market season has officially begun!

Tell me, what are some of your favorite spring pasta dishes?