Fresh basil is one of my favourite herbs and I always have some in my refrigerator. This creamy pesto sauce can be made easily with just a handful of ingredients: basil leaves, grated Parmesan, garlic cloves, pine nuts and extra virgin olive oil.
I’ve used pesto in sandwiches, salads and in this Easy Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe. Its versatility and convenience have its merits. You can make the pesto sauce one day ahead, topping it with 1/2 cm olive oil to prevent browning. Cover with plastic wrap, wrapped tightly onto its surface and chill until needed.
A thing to keep in mind – fresh basil doesn’t like heat. It turns black really quick. In order to keep it vibrant green and flavourful, you should not put it on the stove or reheat it. The pasta itself will warm the pesto without changing its color and taste.
Adding pasta cooking liquid to the pesto sauce will make it thinner and glossier, coating every bit of pasta. Take out way more pasta water than you think you need and reserve it for the last step. It’s sometimes surprising how much liquid the pasta can absorb. Regarding types of pasta, you can use whatever you prefer. My favourite kind are penne, but spaghetti or other long pasta are the better option for this pesto sauce.
Pesto Pasta Toppings
To garnish this basil pesto pasta, you can add some of the toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Also, you can toss some halved cherry tomatoes into the finished pasta. For some extra greens, add some baby spinach or arugula. This will make your pasta even healthier.
I always make basil pesto pasta one hour ahead because I highly prefer eating it cold, straight from the fridge. I’m sure this sounds weird for a lot of people, but you should give it a try.
Easy Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bunch basil leaves
- 30 g Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 garlic clove
- 50 g pine nuts
- 80 ml olive oil extra virgin
- ½ tsp salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- 160 g spaghetti
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with a good pinch of salt and cook the pasta until al dente, stirring occasionally. Reserve 150 ml pasta water to add to the sauce before draining.
- For the pesto, toast pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often until golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Let them cool in a food processor or blender. Reserve some for topping the finished pasta.
- Add Parmesan and garlic and pulse until finely ground, about 1 minute.
- Add basil and place the lid back on. In a steady stream pour olive oil until pesto is smooth. Season with salt.
- After the pasta is cooked, drain it and place it in a large bowl, adding pesto and 60 ml pasta cooking liquid. Toss until pasta is well coated with sauce, adding pasta water if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm or better yet, transfer to the refrigerator to chill and serve cold.
