Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe (Pesto Genovese)
This Easy Pasta Al Pesto Genovese (Pesto Pasta), ready in 15 minutes, combines fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil for a bright, flavorful dish. The secret is using pasta water to create a smooth, silky sauce that perfectly coats the pasta, making it a go-to weeknight meal.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 421kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 large spoon
Ingredients
- 1 portion homemade pesto
- 1 lb pasta I used spaghetti, but use penne, trofie, or farfalle)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup pasta cooking water
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
- ¼ cup Pecorino Romano grated
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil large pot of salted water. Add in the pasta and cook according to the time on the box. Strain pasta just before al dente, reserving some of the pasta cooking water.
- Make pesto: While the pasta is cooking, make the quick homemade pesto. I make the pesto and add the cheese for the pesto only when combining with the pasta.
- Add cooked pasta to sauce: Just before straining the pasta, scoop out one cup of the pasta water. Add the strained pasta to a serving bowl and and combine with the pesto sauce. Do not use the pasta cooking pot, as it's too hot. Add in the cheeses, and combine. If sauce seems too thick, add in a bit of the hot starchy pasta water you reserved. Start with ¼ cup of pasta water. You don't want the sauce to be runny, but it should be smooth, glossy, and silky. Stir to loosen and combine the pesto sauce with the pasta.
- Season: Taste the pasta, and add more salt, if you like, per your taste.
- Serve the pasta: Plate up the pasta and add more grated Parmigiano or pecorino, if you like. Buon appetito. ENJOY!
Notes
- Pesto sauce: This recipe is for pasta with my easy homemade pesto sauce. The tips should be same for store-bought pesto. If you do choose store-bought pesto, choose a very good brand.
- Pasta: I used spaghetti, but I also love penne or trofie with pesto. Use whatever pasta you like. It's about a little less than one pound of pasta for the portion of homemade pesto to get 4 servings. If you use more pasta, there will be less pesto sauce and it will be a little bland flavored.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Best to NOT combine the pasta with pesto in the hot pot you just cooked the pasta in. The pesto will brown. Combine it in a bowl.
- Leftovers: If you have any leftovers, store in the refrigerator. Do not reheat any leftover pesto pasta and the pesto will turn very dark with the heat. Bring the pasta leftovers to room temperature before enjoying.
Nutrition
Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 588mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg