It’s hard to beat a bowl of pesto pasta. Today, I’m sharing a classic basil pesto pasta recipe from start to finish! You’ll learn how to make basil pesto from scratch and toss it with freshly cooked noodles in perfect proportions.
I like my pesto pasta saucy, so I used a generous amount of pesto here, which is more affordable when you’re making your own pesto. It takes ten minutes or less to make pesto in a food processor, but you could certainly use store-bought pesto if you have a favorite brand.
This vibrant pesto pasta is quick and easy to make for dinner on a weeknight. It’s also a lovely side dish to serve at a dinner party or casual summer cookout. Get ready for the best pasta pasta you’ve ever had.
Pesto Pasta Ingredients & Options
You’ll find the full recipe and an instructional video below. Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe and why:
Pasta
The best pastas for pesto are spaghetti or angel hair, spiral shapes like rotini or fusilli, or farfalle (bow ties). Pesto clings well to these shapes, so choose your favorite. Try to buy bronze-cut pasta, which has more texture for grabbing hold of sauce (it’s the traditional Italian method to extrude pasta).
Tip: Be sure to salt your pasta cooking water well, or your pasta will never have as much flavor as it could have had.
Fresh basil
This recipe is the perfect use for a surplus of garden basil. You can also make it with a large container of store-bought basil. If basil is out of stock, make this recipe with arugula instead.
Tip: Store your basil at room temperature—the easiest way is with a paper towel in the container to absorb moisture, or better yet, store it in a vase with the stems covered by an inch of water. Basil is a warm-weather crop and does not like the refrigerator!
Pine nuts
Pine nuts are traditionally used in pesto. You can also use almonds, walnuts, pecans or pepitas (green pumpkin seeds). I’ve tried and enjoyed them all.
Tip: For enhanced nutty flavor, gently toast the nuts in a skillet before blending them into the pesto. I included this step in the recipe since it makes such an impact.
Parmesan cheese
Pesto typically includes Parmesan cheese, which offers some deliciously salty, nutty, cheesy flavors that complement the other ingredients. Technically, most Parmesans are not vegetarian but you can find versions made by Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso that are.
Lemon juice
I like to add a splash of lemon juice to my pesto to brighten the flavors. It’s not essential, but I appreciate the extra boost of flavor.
Garlic
It seems like garlic cloves have grown larger in recent years, so use two small-to-medium cloves or one large. Too much garlic could overpower the basil. There’s no need to press or mince the garlic. Cut it into a few segments and let the food processor do the rest of the work.
Olive oil brings the pesto together. We’ll drizzle it into the food processor while it’s running to help incorporate it with the other ingredients.
Reserved pasta cooking water
Before draining the pasta, pour some of the cooking water in a heat-safe vessel like a glass liquid measuring cup. Pasta cooking water is like magic—it contains starches that create a creamy emulsion and help attach the sauce to the pasta.
Watch How to Make Basil Pesto
Pesto Pasta Serving Suggestions
Make pesto pasta when you’re craving a fresh bowl of noodles. Serve it as a base for protein or veggies, or as a simple side to accompany something like Eggplant Parmesan.
To bulk up your pasta with produce, consider adding marinated artichoke, avocado, olives, peas, tomatoes (try raw or roasted cherry tomatoes with small mozzarella balls) or zucchini (perhaps ribboned with a julienne peeler).
Pesto pasta is a lovely dish to serve in the summer when basil is in season, although I’ll gladly enjoy it any time of year. Here are some suggestions to help build out your menu.
More Pesto Recipes to Love
As you’ll see, I love a creative pesto recipe. Here are some fun ways to incorporate bold pestos and veggies into your meals:
Please let me know how your pesto pasta turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Pesto Pasta
Make pesto pasta for a quick and easy dinner! These saucy pesto noodles are made with homemade pesto, which comes together quickly in the food processor. This pesto yields ¾ cup, which will generously coat 8 ounces of pasta once cooked (you can stretch 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).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta (it should taste salty). Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package instructions.
- Optional, toast the nuts or seeds for extra flavor: In a medium skillet, toast the nuts over medium heat, stirring frequently (don’t let them burn!), until nice and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour them into a bowl to cool for a few minutes.
- To make the pesto: Combine the basil, cooled nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor or blender. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue processing until the mixture is well blended but still has some texture, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Before you drain your pasta, place a liquid measuring cup in the sink. Then, pour about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into the measuring cup before you drain off the rest of the water. Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot.
- Off the heat, toss pasta, pesto and small splashes of pasta cooking water together until you’re satisfied with the consistency (I typically use about ¼ to ⅓ cup of the reserved water). Taste, and season to taste with additional salt or grated Parmesan, if desired. Serve while warm; leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from How to Make Pesto.
Make it gluten free: Substitute sturdy gluten-free noodles, such as a corn and quinoa blend.
Make it nut free: Use pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) instead of nuts.
Make it vegan/dairy free: Omit the Parmesan. You might like to finish your bowls with a sprinkle of Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese.
Change it up: Basil pesto is the classic choice, but you could also use Arugula Pesto, Avocado Pesto, or Kale Pecan Pesto. You’ll need about ¾ cup pesto for 8 ounces of pasta.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
