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    Home > Pasta

    Pesto Pasta Recipe

    Published: Jul 18, 2023 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Print Recipe

    A quick dinner of your favourite pasta smothered in fresh basil pesto. Make it as garlicky, cheesy, salty or even as spicy as you like.

    Ready in 15 minutes! Including making your own homemade pesto.

    Pesto spaghetti on a light grey plate being swirled with a gold fork. The pasta is sprinkled with baby basil leaves, toasted pine nuts and parmesan. The plate is on a light grey surface.
    Jump to:
    • 📋 Pesto Sauce Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make Pesto Pasta
    • 🍽️ What to serve it with
    • 🍲 More fantastic quick pasta recipes
    • Pesto Pasta
    • 💬 Reviews

    Pesto pasta makes such a great dinner when you're after something quick, filling and flavourful.

    Yes, you can use ready-made basil pesto (which I sometimes do too!). If you do, I'd always recommend going with with fresh pesto - it seems to be more vibrant and tasty than the jarred stuff.
    However, if you make it at home, you can personalise it to your exact taste. Maybe add in a fresh chilli, some leftover rocket, throw in some walnuts. Whatever you fancy.

    Plus making it at home only takes a few minutes to whizz together - which is easily done in the same time your pasta is cooking.

    📋 Pesto Sauce Ingredients

    Ingredients for homemade pesto on a light grey surface
    • Fresh basil - and plenty of it
    • Olive oil - try to go for a good quality extra-virgin olive oil if you can
    • Garlic - a must for that fragrant garlicky flavour
    • Parmesan (or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese if you want a vegetarian version)
    • Pine nuts - for that creamy nuttiness
    • Salt and Pepper

    🔪 How to make Pesto Pasta

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    Overhead shot of homemade pesto in a small food processor, on a light background.
    1. Cook the spaghetti until al dente in a large pan of boiling salted water. Once cooked, drain it and reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water.
    2. While the pasta is cooking, pulse basil, garlic, pine nuts, grated parmesan and black pepper and salt together for a few seconds in a small food processor (or mini chopper or even a blender). This helps to initially break up the garlic and pine nuts.
    3. Then, with the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream. If you're using a blender (I sometimes use my Nutribullet), simply add in half the oil, blend, give it a good shake, then add the rest of the oil and blend again.
    4. Give it a taste, then add in more salt (crushed Maldon is lovely, but table salt is also fine).
    5. Toss the pesto with the cooked pasta and some of the reserved pasta water. That pasta water will loosen up the sauce and make it cling to the spaghetti beautifully.

    👩‍🍳PRO TIP Just add a little (½ tsp) Maldon salt before blending the pesto, then taste after blending and add more salt then. This ensures you get the seasoning just right. Also, adding the Maldon salt after blending means you get that lovely salty crunch.

    Overhead image of pesto spaghetti on a light grey plate. The pasta is sprinkled with baby basil leaves, toasted pine nuts and parmesan. The plate is on a light grey surface and there is a gold fork on the plate.

    🍽️ What to serve it with

    • Go full garlic-fiend and serve it up with easy homemade garlic bread!
    • Or serve with a simple green salad
    • Crispy chicken goujons, chopped into chunks and sprinkled on top are one of my kids favourite additions,


    🍲 More fantastic quick pasta recipes

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      Creamy Cajun Prawn Pasta
    • Overhead of penne arrabiata pasta in a pan on dark background
      Penne Arrabbiata with Mozzarella and Chorizo
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      Pan Fried Salmon and Spaghetti with Lemon Cream Sauce
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      Salmon Rigatoni in a Creamy Tomato Sauce
    • Square image of buffalo chicken pasta in a silver pan on a light grey background.
      Buffalo Chicken Pasta
    • a square shot of creamy mushroom pasta on a white plate with a spoon dug in, on a wooden board with some parmesan in the background
      Creamy Mushroom Pasta

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    Square image of pesto spaghetti on a light grey plate being swirled with a gold fork. The pasta is sprinkled with baby basil leaves, toasted pine nuts and parmesan. The plate is on a light grey surface.

    Pesto Pasta

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    A quick dinner of your favourite pasta smothered in fresh basil pesto. Make it as garlicky, cheesy, salty or even as spicy as you like. Ready in 15 minutes.
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 702 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    Pasta

    • 400 g (14 oz) dried spaghetti

    Pesto

    • 50 g (1.75oz) fresh basil leaves - (this is approx two packed cups)
    • 2 cloves garlic - peeled
    • 40 g (3 tbsp) pine nuts
    • 30 g (⅓ cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ tsp Maldon salt
    • 90 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil

    To Serve

    • ½ tsp black pepper
    • 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts - (* Note1)
    • 1 handful of fresh baby basil leaves

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add the 400 g (14 oz) dried spaghetti to a large pan of salted boiling water and cook for 10-13 minutes (so it's to the texture of your liking).
      400 g (14 oz) dried spaghetti
    • While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto.
    • Add the 50 g (1.75oz) fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 40 g (3 tbsp) pine nuts, 30 g (⅓ cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and ½ tsp Maldon salt to a food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds to break up the garlic and pine nuts.
      50 g (1.75oz) fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 40 g (3 tbsp) pine nuts, 30 g (⅓ cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp Maldon salt
    • Turn the food processor back on and pour in the 90 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil in a steady stream – which should take about 10 seconds.
      90 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
    • Check for consistency – if you like it a little chunky, it’s ready to go. If you like it smoother, whizz for another 10-20 seconds, until the texture is to your liking.
    • Taste the pesto and add in a little more salt if needed. Put the pesto to one side.
    • When the spaghetti is ready, drain in a colander, reserving 1 cup of of the pasta cooking water.
    • Place the spaghetti back into the pan you cooked it in. Add in the pesto and a good splash (about ⅓ of a cup) of the pasta cooking water.
    • Toss the spaghetti in the sauce, using a set of tongs, over a low heat, until the sauce coats the pasta. Add in more of the pasta water if you want to loosen up the sauce more.
    • Divide the pasta between bowls and top with a a sprinkling of black pepper, grated parmesan, toasted pine nuts and some fresh baby basil leaves.
      ½ tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts, 1 handful of fresh baby basil leaves

    ✎ Notes

    Note 1 - How to toast pine nuts
    Place the pine nuts in a medium dry (no oil) frying pan and heat over a medium heat, stirring/tossing often, until the pine nuts are golden brown. This should take about 2-4 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they can burn quicky.
    Remove them from the pan fairly quickly at this point, otherwise they will continue to brown in the residual heat of the pan.
    Making the toasted pine nuts ahead 
    I like to to toast extra pine nuts to use for salads, avocado toast etc. So I usually toast a larger batch than needed for this recipe.
    You can toast pine nuts ahead of time. Storing them in an airtight container at room temperature, once the pine nuts have cooled. 
    They go rancid quicker once toasted, so don't store them at room temperature for more than about 5 days.
    You can freeze toasted pine nuts and they'll last longer (about 3 months in an airtight container).
    Just defrost the required amount at room temperature before using.
    Storage
    Store the pesto in sealed jar, for up to a week, in the fridge. It may lose a little of the vibrant colour during this time, but will still taste great.
    If you are storing in the refrigerator for more than a day, I like to add in a tablespoon of lemon juice to help maintain the vibrant colour.
    Alternatively, you can freeze the pesto in portions (I use an ice cube tray) - then defrost in the fridge or add the frozen pesto cubes directly to the dish you're making - it should defrost pretty quickly with heat.
    Ingredient swaps
    • Swap the spaghetti for short pasta such as rigatoni, fusilli or penne pasta
    • Swap the pine nuts for walnuts, almonds or cashews
    • Swap the Parmesan for vegetarian Italian-style hard-cheese for a vegetarian version.
    • Add in a green chilli before blending, or stir in ¼ tsp chilli flakes after blending for a kick of heat.
    Nutritional information is approximate, per serving. This recipe serves 4.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 702kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 19gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 473mgPotassium: 379mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 752IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 139mgIron: 3mg
    Keywords Basil, easy pasta, Pasta Sauce
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

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    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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