Easy Pesto Pasta

Pesto pasta in a white bowl with a wooden spoon next to two plates of pasta.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: easy pesto pasta

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 456kcal

This easy pesto pasta is a simple recipe, but so full of flavor! Make the pesto while the pasta cooks, and dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes!

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound pasta such as orecchiette or fusilli
6 cups fresh basil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces parmesan cheese
½ cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the pasta water

Instructions

Bring water to boil in large stockpot. Once boiling, season with salt so it 'tastes like the sea'. Then add the pasta noodles. Cook until al dente according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a dry skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat until they are lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
Grate the parmesan cheese on a box grater.
Put the cooled pine nuts in a food processor. Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic and add to the pine nuts. Process the pine nuts until they are very finely ground.
Add the parmigiano cheese and process until the mixture is clumping together. You should be able to squeeze it into a ball with your hands like dough.
Add the basil and salt to the food processor and put the lid back on. With the motor running, pour the olive oil slowly into the basil mixture until the basil leaves are finely chopped and the mixture is smooth, up to 1 minute.
Scoop about half of the pesto into a large serving bowl. Drain the pasta, then place it into the bowl with the pesto and stir to combine. Add more pesto if necessary and serve immediately.

Notes

Don't over-process the pesto. The heat from the blades can darken the basil leaves, so as soon as you reach a smooth texture, STOP!
Never heat pesto before serving! You'll ruin it! If you have it stored in the fridge, allow it to come to room temperature before using. The heat from the pasta will activate the flavors and melt the cheese so the sauce will stick to the noodles.
Be sure to salt the pasta water! This is an essential step. It's the difference between a bland, boring dish and heavenly, delightful pasta.
Don't overcook the pasta. It should be al dente, which means it should have a bit of chew to it. Don't let it turn to mush. Proper texture is one of the things that makes eating pasta so satisfying!
To store leftover pesto, place it in an airtight container with some olive oil drizzled over the top to cover it. This layer of olive oil will keep it from turning a dark color underneath.

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