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Homemade basil pesto brings delightfully fresh flavours to pasta, making it a simple, versatile way to brighten up a quick lunch or dinner. Master this simple recipe and you’ll always have an option on a busy weeknight!
If you like pesto and want to get creative, try our Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower Pesto Spaghetti or this Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta!
Making a plate of creamy pesto pasta has been a go-to quick lunch or dinner for years. It’s quick, simple and cheap. What’s not to love, especially since it has always made my kids happy?
While I started by using store-bought pesto from my local supermarket, I’ve switched to make fresh, homemade pesto whenever I have a couple extra minutes to spare. As good as pre-made pesto can be, it just can’t compare to the bright and lively flavours of fresh made pesto.
How to make fresh pesto
Traditional pesto is blend of fresh basil leaves, This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and oil, plus a squeeze of lemon juice. I have used almonds in place of pine nuts and vegetarian hard cheese instead of Parmesan.
Although this recipe gives you the basic ingredient ratio, it is always important to taste the final product and adjust the seasoning to get it just right. Add salt, garlic and lemon juice till everything is perfectly balanced for the best results.
The approach to making pesto can be adapted to other ingredients as well. Not only can you change the nuts and try things like walnuts, but it also works with other greens like kale or spinach.
What pasta shape is best for pesto
Italians take the shape of pasta very seriously. I used to think that this was pretty funny but I’ve come to learn that having the right shape of pasta for the sauce you are using makes a big difference.
Fortunately, even Italians will usually agree that pesto goes with just about any pasta shape. I came across a pack of This is an affiliate link.gemelli pasta which I used for this dish. The twists give space for little pockets of pesto to take hold, which makes the pasta very pleasant to eat.
But that’s just what I had to hand. When using pesto, it’s hard to go wrong when choosing the shape.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- This recipe is simple and basic by design. That means it’s easy to make, but also that it’s easy to adapt. It can be altered in any number of ways, but some you may want to try would involve adding protein like chicken, shrimp or sausage, or vegetables like cherry tomatoes.
- Make sure to salt the water before adding the pasta. Salted water infuses the pasta and is vital for good flavour. After that, just cook pasta to package instructions.
- To achieve a creamy consistency, make sure to reserve some of the pasta water and splash 2-3 tablespoons into the pasta while you stir in the pesto sauce. Skipping this step will lead to dry and clumpy pasta.
- A This is an affiliate link.food processor or a This is an affiliate link.blender make it easy to create fresh pesto at home. Just add the ingredients and let the machines do the work!
Serving suggestions
This pasta dish is incredibly versatile. It stands up perfectly well on its own, which makes it ideal for a quick lunch or dinner. Serving pesto pasta with a fresh salad, such as caprese salad, makes for a satisfying but light meal, especially with steaming hot garlic bread.
But it can do so much more than that. Pesto pasta is lovely as a course in an Italian feast, such as a primo course. Start your meal with antipasti, followed by a lovely pasta.
The options for antipasti are almost unlimited, which makes it so much fun to eat as a meal. I’m a fan of mushroom crostini, but I have lot’s of other crostini options as well.
Storage and leftovers
Leftover pasta can never be the same as fresh, unfortunately. Time in the fridge means that it will lose that lovely al dente texture, so always best to cook only what you plan to eat.
But life doesn’t always work out like that and I do hate wasting food. The pasta can be stored for 3-4 days, but it’ll get softer the longer it sits. It’s simplest to warm it back up in a microwave.
If you have extra pesto, keep it in a refrigerator for 1 week to 10 days.
More easy pasta recipes
- 5 Minute Ravioli Sauce
- Pasta Cream Sauce
- Lemon Garlic Pasta with Broccoli and Asparagus
- Pasta e Piselli
Basil Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Food processor
Ingredients
- 450g / 1 lb pasta of your choice, I used gemelli pasta
- 50g / 2½ cups fresh basil
- 50g / ⅓ cup pine nuts or blanched almonds
- 50g / ⅓ cup This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 4 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions.
- In a food processor or blender combine the fresh basil, pine nuts or almonds, Parmesan cheese, pressed garlic clove and the juice of one lemon. Process until smooth. With the motor of the food processor still running pour in the olive oil through a chute and process for 10-20 seconds longer. Turn the food processor off and taste the pesto, add a pinch of salt if necessary.
- Drain the pasta while reserving 1 cup/250ml of cooking water. Combine the pasta and pesto, toss everything gently to combine, add a splash of reserved water to loosen the sauce. The dish should be saucy and not a paste. Keep adding the pasta water until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
