It’s tough to top a bowl of pasta with pesto. Today, I’m presenting a traditional basil pesto pasta recipe from beginning to end! You’ll discover how to prepare basil pesto from scratch and mix it with freshly cooked noodles in ideal proportions.
I prefer my pesto pasta to be saucy, so I utilized a substantial quantity of pesto here, which becomes more cost-effective when you create your own. Making pesto in a food processor takes ten minutes or less, but you can certainly opt for store-bought pesto if you have a preferred brand.
This vibrant pesto pasta is quick and straightforward to prepare for dinner on a weeknight. It also serves as a delightful side dish for a dinner party or a casual summer barbecue. Get ready for the finest pasta dish you’ve ever tasted.
Pesto Pasta Ingredients & Options
You’ll find the complete recipe and an instructional video below. Here’s what you’ll require to create this dish and why:
Pasta
The ideal pasta choices for pesto are spaghetti or angel hair, spiral shapes such as rotini or fusilli, or farfalle (bow ties). Pesto adheres well to these shapes, so opt for your favorite. Aim to purchase bronze-cut pasta, which has more texture for clinging to sauce (it’s the traditional Italian method of extruding pasta).
Tip: Be sure to season your pasta cooking water generously, or your pasta won’t have as much flavor as it could.
Fresh basil
This recipe is a fantastic way to use up excess garden basil. You can also use a large container of store-bought basil. If basil isn’t available, substitute with arugula instead.
Tip: Keep your basil at room temperature—the easiest method is to place a paper towel in the container to absorb moisture, or better still, store it in a vase with the stems submerged in an inch of water. Basil thrives in warm weather and struggles in refrigeration!
Pine nuts
Pine nuts are commonly found in pesto. Alternatively, you can use almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pepitas (green pumpkin seeds). I’ve tried and enjoyed them all.
Tip: For a richer nutty flavor, lightly toast the nuts in a skillet before blending them into the pesto. I’ve included this step in the recipe as it makes a significant difference.
Parmesan cheese
Pesto generally contains Parmesan cheese, which adds a deliciously salty, nutty, cheesy flavor that enhances the other ingredients. Technically, most Parmesan cheeses are not vegetarian, but you can find versions made by Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso that are suitable.
Lemon juice
I enjoy adding a dash of lemon juice to my pesto to enhance the flavors. It’s not mandatory, but I appreciate the additional flavor boost.
Garlic
Garlic cloves seem to have become larger lately, so use two small-to-medium cloves or one large one. Too much garlic can overpower the basil. There’s no need for finely chopping or pressing the garlic; just cut it into a few pieces and allow the food processor to handle the rest.
Olive oil binds the pesto together. We’ll drizzle it into the food processor while it’s blending to help incorporate it with the other ingredients.
Reserved pasta cooking water
Before draining the pasta, pour some of the cooking water into a heat-safe container like a glass liquid measuring cup. Pasta cooking water is magical—it contains starches that create a creamy emulsion and help bind the sauce to the pasta.
Pesto Pasta Serving Suggestions
Prepare pesto pasta when you have a craving for a fresh bowl of noodles. Serve it as a base for protein or vegetables, or as a simple side to pair with something like Eggplant Parmesan.
To enhance your pasta with produce, think about adding marinated artichokes, avocado, olives, peas, tomatoes (try raw or roasted cherry tomatoes with small mozzarella balls), or zucchini (perhaps sliced into ribbons with a julienne peeler).
Pesto pasta is a delightful dish to serve in summer when basil is in season, though I’m happy to enjoy it any time of year. Here are some ideas to help expand your menu.
More Pesto Recipes to Love
As you’ll see, I enjoy creative pesto recipes. Here are some imaginative ways to incorporate bold pestos and vegetables into your meals:
Please share how your pesto pasta turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Pesto Pasta
Prepare pesto pasta for a quick and simple dinner! These saucy pesto noodles are made with homemade pesto, which comes together swiftly in the food processor. This pesto yields ¾ cup, which will generously coat 8 ounces of pasta once cooked (you can extend this amount of pesto to coat up to 12 ounces of pasta, or easily double the recipe to use an entire 16-ounce package of pasta).
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta (it should taste salty). Cook the