Pesto Pasta is quick and easy to make comes together in just no time. With homemade fresh basil pesto this Pesto Pasta is so flavorful and tasty. Learn to make Pesto Pasta the right way with step by step pictures and video.
Simple, quick and easy to make Pesto Pasta that even a kid can make it. Ready in just 20 minutes which includes the time for making homemade pesto too. A handful of ingredients and you are good to go!
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What is Pesto Pasta?
Pesto Pasta is a delicious and popular dish made by tossing pasta along with pesto sauce. Pesto is traditionally made using fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil, all blended together into a coarse paste.
You can use ready made pesto sauce for making pesto pasta but homemade pesto sauce comes with an advantage of customizing according to your preference. Additionally homemade pesto sauce is so easy to make.
The vibrant green color and flavorful fresh look makes it one of the popular choice in Italian cuisine. Sometimes pesto sauce can be made with other variations with herbs like mint, coriander, parsley etc.
Pesto pasta is a delicious and popular dish made with pasta noodles tossed in a sauce called pesto. Pesto is traditionally made from fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil, all blended together into a smooth paste. However, there are many variations of pesto that incorporate different herbs, nuts, and cheeses.
To make pesto pasta, you would typically cook your choice of pasta according to package instructions until it’s al dente. While the pasta is cooking, you can prepare the pesto sauce by blending together the basil (or other herbs), garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil in a food processor or blender until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more olive oil if needed. Season with salt and pepper and Serve!
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pot or transfer it to a large bowl. Add the pesto sauce to the pasta and toss until the noodles are evenly coated. You can also add chicken, mushroom or any vegetable of your choice to enhance the dish.
Pesto pasta can be served hot or warm, depending on your preference. This pesto pasta makes for a quick and easy meal that has a burst of fresh flavors. It’s a versatile dish that can be customized to suit your taste preferences.
Pasta to choose
You can make pesto pasta with any variety of pasta of your choice. But I do have my recommendations for pesto pasta : Spaghetti, Penne pasta or Ziti are best for pesto pasta in my opinion.
Pasta varieties like macaroni or fussili are less preference as they are twisted so the sauce coating would be less. Less saucy the pasta the taste would not be that great. So make sure not to use pasta varieties that has a lot of twirls and twists.
Tips to make juicy Pesto Pasta
To make pesto pasta, first cook your choice of pasta until it’s al dente. While the pasta is cooks, you can prepare the pesto sauce by blending together the basil along with Parmesan, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in a blender until coarse. Adjust the consistency by adding more olive oil if necessary, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pot it is cooked or transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the pesto sauce to the pasta along with pasta cooked water and toss until the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce.
The main tip to make perfect moist pesto pasta is to reserve little of pasta cooked water and add it while mixing the pasta with pesto sauce. Also add more of pesto sauce for best tasting pesto pasta. If you add little sauce your pasta will not be very flavorful.
Adding pasta cooked water is a secret tip followed in every Italian household while making pasta. Adding pasta cooked water avoids adding more oil and still keeps the pasta moist and juicy even after resting for a while.
Similar Recipes
Pesto Pasta Video
Pesto Sauce Ingredients
- Basil – Use fresh basil leaves for best flavorful pesto sauce. I have used Thai Basil which is available here. You can use sweet basil or Genovese basil.
- Parmesan – Parmesan cheese gives a good flavor to this pesto sauce. It is salty and creamy which gives a good balance for this sauce.
- Olive oil – Olive oil gives the pesto shelf life, also creaminess and sauce consistency to the pesto.
- Pine nuts – Pine nuts adds creaminess and structure to pesto sauce. You can substitute with walnuts or almonds. Toasting pine nuts brings out the nutty flavor.
- Garlic – Garlic adds a nice aroma which elevates the flavor of this pesto sauce.
- Pepper and Salt – Salt is added to taste and pepper for a mild spice.
- Lemon – Lemon juice helps to retain the green color, brightens up the flavor and balances the taste.
Pesto Ingredients
- Pasta – You can choose to use any pasta variety of your choice. I have used spaghetti pasta.
- Pesto Sauce – Fresh pesto sauce is best for pesto pasta. You can use ready made pesto sauce or homemade.
- Parmesan cheese – This is just for garnish as already the pesto sauce has Parmesan in in it.
How to make Pesto Pasta Step by Step
Making pesto sauce
1.Toast 1/3 cup pine nuts until golden and set aside to cool. Toasting nuts brings out the nutty flavor.
2.To a food processor or blender add toasted pine nuts along with 2 cloves garlic.
3.Clean and rinse 2 cups basil leaves well. Drain water completely. Add the basil leaves along with salt to taste.
4.Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder.
5.Add 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
6.Add lemon juice from 1/2 lemon.
7.Blend it and add olive little by little while blending. Use 1/3 cup olive oil add it in 3-4 parts.
8.Blend it until coarse not too smooth.
9.The consistency is slightly coarse. Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce is ready!
Cooking pasta
10.Boil 4 cups of water in a pot, add salt to it.
11.Add 200 grams of spaghetti.
12.Let it cook in medium flame.
13.When it is 3/4th cooked reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooked water.
14.Pasta is almost done.
15.Pasta should be cooked al dente or fork tender.
16.Drain the pasta.
17.Rinse in water to avoid further cooking.
Combining pasta with pesto sauce
18.Add it back to the pot or a mixing bowl.
19.Add 4 tablespoon pesto sauce along with 1/2 cup pasta cooked water.
20.Toss well.
21.Pesto pasta is ready!
Enjoy pesto pasta!
Expert Tips
- Pesto sauce – Use only fresh ingredients for making pesto. You can replace pine nuts with almonds.
- Cooking pasta – Cook pasta only until al dente for perfect tasting pesto pasta. Add salt to boiling water then add the pasta. Reserve at least 1/2 cup pasta cooked water to use it later.
- Tossing – While tossing make sure the pasta is slightly hot. Add pesto sauce, pasta cooked water and toss well.
Serving & Storage
Pesto Pasta can be served as such or with toasted bread. Pesto Sauce keeps well in room temperature for about a day in room temperature and in fridge for 1 week and in freezer for about 3 months. I would recommend storing the pesto sauce and tossing with pasta when needed. Pesto Pasta should be consumed fresh.
FAQS
1.What type of pasta to use?
You can make pesto pasta with any variety of pasta of your choice. But Spaghetti, Penne pasta or Ziti are best for pesto pasta and these are my choice.
2.How to make juicy pesto pasta?
The secret behind juicy, moist pesto pasta is adding pasta cooked water along with pesto sauce and tossing it. It keeps the pasta juicy even after a while.
3.What can I serve Pesto Pasta with?
Pesto Pasta tastes great on its own with a drizzle of Parmesan cheese on top. However you can serve pesto pasta with toasted bread.
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📖 Recipe Card
Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Pesto Sauce
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves tightly packed
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
- 1/2 lemon
- salt to taste
Pesto Pasta
- 4 tablespoon pesto sauce
- 200 grams spaghetti
- Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
Making Pesto Sauce
- Toast 1/3 cup pine nuts until golden and set aside to cool. Toasting nuts brings out the nutty flavor.
- To a food processor or blender add toasted pine nuts along with 2 cloves garlic.
- Clean and rinse 2 cups basil leaves well. Add the basil leaves along with salt to taste.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder.
- Add 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Add lemon juice from 1/2 lemon.
- Blend it and add olive little by little while blending. Use 1/3 cup olive oil add it in 3-4 parts.
- Blend it until coarse not too smooth.
- The consistency is slightly coarse.
- Fresh basil pesto sauce is ready!
Cooking Pasta
- Boil 4 cups of water in a pot, add salt to it.
- Add 200 grams of spaghetti.
- Let it cook in medium flame.
- When it is 3/4th cooked reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooked water.
- Pasta is almost done.
- Pasta should be cooked al dente or fork tender.
- Drain the pasta.
- Rinse in water to avoid further cooking.
- Add it back to the pot or a mixing bowl.
- Add 4 tablespoon pesto sauce along with 1/2 cup pasta cooked water.
- Toss well.
- Pesto pasta is ready!
- Enjoy pesto pasta!
Video
Notes
- Pesto sauce – Use only fresh ingredients for making pesto. You can replace pine nuts with almonds.
- Cooking pasta – Cook pasta only until al dente for perfect tasting pesto pasta. Add salt to boiling water then add the pasta. Reserve at least 1/2 cup pasta cooked water to use it later.
- Tossing – While tossing make sure the pasta is slightly hot. Add pesto sauce, pasta cooked water and toss well.
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