Basil Pesto Pasta
Homemade basil pesto with pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan and olive oil, tossed with pasta and a splash of the cooking water.
- Servings
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
Ingredients
- water stays the same: Use a big pot of water whatever the batch size.
- kosher salt stays the same: It seasons the pasta water, which stays the same amount.
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- Large pot
Instructions
Bring the water and salt to a boil for the pasta.
Pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and salt in the food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, pour in the oil until the pesto is fairly smooth. Stir in the lemon juice.
Cook the pasta until al dente. Save 1 cup of the water, then drain.Cook the pasta until al dente. Save 237 mL of the water, then drain.
Toss the pasta with the pesto and enough pasta water to make a glossy sauce that clings. Serve with extra cheese.
Notes
- Keep pesto green by pressing plastic wrap onto its surface. It keeps 5 days in the fridge or freezes for 3 months in ice-cube trays.
- Walnuts or sunflower seeds can stand in for pine nuts.
My notes
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Nutrition estimate
- Calories
- 820
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 88 g
- Fat
- 42 g
Per serving, estimated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed amounts. Optional ingredients and to-taste seasoning are not included, and actual values vary by brand. How we estimate
