Description
Pesto Pasta is a delightful dish that brings the vibrant flavors of fresh basil, nutty pine nuts, and aromatic garlic to your table. With its stunning green color and creamy texture, this easy-to-make recipe is perfect for cozy weeknight dinners or elegant gatherings. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s a crowd-pleaser that effortlessly elevates any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 8 oz pasta of choice (spaghetti or linguine)
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients by washing and drying the basil leaves.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- In a food processor, combine basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until finely chopped.
- While the processor runs on low speed, slowly add olive oil until smooth. Add lemon juice and pulse to combine.
- Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente (8–10 minutes). Drain, reserving some cooking water.
- Return pasta to the pot, add pesto sauce, and mix well, adding reserved pasta water as needed for creaminess.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Mixing/Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (200g)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 34g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 25mg