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With a simple homemade pesto, this pasta al pesto is the perfect light pasta dish that can be prepared in under 20 minutes.
Pasta dishes don't have to be super rich and heavy. There are plenty of options that won't leave you filling stuffed or guilty - from garlic butter pasta to spaghetti alla nerano to bucatini pomodoro to carrot pasta.
When it comes to sauces, you can't really go wrong, but for me, pesto is easily number one.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple - As with most Italian pasta dishes, you use a minimal amount of ingredients that generate a ton of flavor.
- Quick to prepare - You can have this dish from start to the dinner table in under 20 minutes.
- Flavorful - If you are a fan of basil and lemon, this pasta dish is for you.
- Customizable - You can change up this dish in many ways, from adding your favorite vegetables to protein like chicken or shrimp.
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Ingredient Notes
- Pasta - Linguini pairs great with this light sauce because it really soaks it up.
- Pesto - This recipe uses a traditional pesto sauce, consisting of basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
- Lemon - While not traditional, lemon juice adds some necessary acid and additional brightness.
Ingredient Swaps
While this pasta al pesto is pretty perfect, you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- You want a long noodle like spaghetti, bucatini, angel hair or my go-to which is linguini. You could also try this tagliatelle pesto.
- As pine nuts are quite expensive, you can replace with another nut like almonds, walnuts or pistachios.
- Parmesan is what is traditional, but Pecorino Romano is a good substitute.
- If you are looking for a gluten-free option, you can use zucchini to make pesto zoodles.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
In a food processor, add the basil, pine nuts, garlic and salt and blend until combined. With the food processor running, add the olive oil and lemon juice before adding the cheese.
At the pasta to a bowl with the pesto and some pasta water, tossing until everything is coated.
FAQs
While homemade pesto is super easy to make it will oxidize when exposed to air or heated up.
If you want your pesto to remain bright green, fill a large bowl with cold water and several ice cubes and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and basil leaves and blanch for 15 seconds. Immediately remove the basil from the boiling water and place in the ice water bath.
Once cooled, drain. Squeeze the leaves to remove all excess water and lay them on a paper towel. To be honest, I took the stop here to make the pictures look good, but you can skip!
I mentioned this earlier but linguini is my go-to. However spaghetti, angel hair or bucatini all work as well.
It really depends on what type of pasta you want and if you have the time. Fresh pasta is definitely better.
But if you don't have time or want some bucatini, just buy dried pasta. However if you want to use spaghetti, try this one by Anne Burrell. It is my go-to homemade pasta recipe.
It will last about 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
My preferred method is placing the leftover pasta in a skillet with a splash of water. Cook on medium-low until heated through.
You can also microwave. Place in a microwave-proof bowl with a splash of water and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for another minute or until heated through.
Types of Pesto I Can Make
Traditional pesto consists of basil, garlic, pine nuts, coarse salt, Parmesan cheese and blended with olive oil. The great thing is you can really mix and match the herbs and nuts. You can also control the amount of oil, whether you want it a little thicker or thinner. Some variations include:
Herbs/Greens to Use in Pesto: Basil, Parsley, Cilantro, Mint, Sage, Kale, Spinach, Arugula
Nuts/Seeds to Use in Pesto: Pine Nuts, Pistachios, Pecans, Almonds, Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Cashew
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the pasta turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Large bowl - Need a bowl to be able to mix together the ingredients.
- Spoon - You want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.
- Cheese grater - I mentioned multiple time but use a cheese block and grate yourself.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice as it tastes better and is cheaper. No store-bought bottle.
- Make sure the water you are cooking the pasta in is salted as some of the flavor comes from it.
- Cook the pasta until just al dente as the pasta will cook more when tossing in sauce.
- Don't heat your pesto as it takes away from some of the aroma/flavor. Just add to the hot pasta.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you’ve tried this pasta al pesto recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Pasta al Pesto
Ingredients
- 12 oz linguine
- 2 cups basil (2 oz or 56 grams)
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta to al dente and save ½ cup of pasta water.
- Add basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt to blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined.
- With blender or food processor on, slowly add olive oil and lemon juice until well combined. Add the Parmesan and blend for 10 more seconds until just combined.
- Add the cooked pasta to a mixing bowl. Add the pesto and ¼ cup of reserved pasta water, tossing to combine. Add more water if still too thick. Top with some Parmesan and fresh basil.
Notes
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice as it tastes better and is cheaper. No store-bought bottle.
- Make sure the water you are cooking the pasta in is salted as some of the flavor comes from it.
- Cook the pasta until just al dente as the pasta will cook more when tossing in sauce.
- Don't heat your pesto as it takes away from some of the aroma/flavor. Just add to the hot pasta.
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