Quick Look at this Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Ready In: 25 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Main Ingredients: Fresh basil, pine nuts, grated parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, and kosher salt.
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free friendly and vegetarian.
- Why You’ll Keep Making This Pasta Recipe: There’s nothing better than a simple recipe that uses minimal ingredients! It’s easy to make, tastes like summer, and is the perfect way to use up all that extra basil from the garden or farmers market.
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Why You’ll Love This Basil Pesto Pasta
- Versatile: Serve it as a simple side dish or add grilled chicken, pan fried shrimp, air fryer salmon, or another favorite protein to turn it into an easy main course.
- Freezer Friendly Pesto: Have extra basil pesto after making the pasta? Freeze it for another meal and enjoy those fresh summer flavors later!
- Fresh Homemade Pesto: Fresh basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil come together for a bright, fresh pesto that makes this simple pasta shine. Jarred pesto always works in a pinch, but homemade yields the best flavors.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Fresh Basil: We use classic sweet basil for that traditional pesto flavor. Other basil varieties can change the flavor of your pesto — Thai basil has more licorice-like notes, while lemon basil will add more citrus flavor.
- Pine Nuts: We love the soft nutty flavor that this nut provides, but if they’re not available, walnuts are a great substitute.
- Reserved Pasta Water: Don’t forget to save some before draining the pasta! The starch in the pasta water helps loosen the pesto and gives the finished pasta a silky sauce that evenly coats each noodle.
- optional protein add ins – Add your favorite protein to make this a complete meal. Our favorites are simple grilled chicken breasts, the best grilled salmon recipe ever, grilled shrimp skewers, or perfectly cooked tofu!
How To Make Basil Pesto Pasta
Step 1 – Blend pesto ingredients in a small food processor until smooth.
Step 2 – Taste the basil pesto and adjust the kosher salt as needed. Add a little more olive oil, if needed, to reach your desired consistency.
Remember To Reserve Pasta Water
This is such an easy step to miss, but an important one that will impact your final dish! Before draining your cooked pasta, use a measuring cup or soup ladle to scoop out about 1/2 a cup of the pasta water. This starchy water helps the pesto coat each piece of pasta rather than sliding to the bottom of the bowl.
Step 3 – Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
Step 4 – Add cooked pasta, basil pesto, and a splash of pasta water and combine.
Flavor Variations
To amp up the flavors in this basil pesto pasta, experiment with add-ins like red pepper flakes, sliced grape tomatoes, feta cheese, black olives, or fresh mozzarella balls. Or add perfect grilled chicken breasts to make chicken pasta salad. Tell us which add-in was your favorite!
Step 5 – Stir the pesto and al dente pasta so that the pesto sauce covers all of the noodles. Add additional splashes of pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
What We Learned Testing this Recipe
- Double Batches – Our small food processor worked great for a single batch of this homemade pesto, but if you plan on making a double or triple batch, a high speed blender works best.
- Reserved Pasta Water – We found that the amount of pasta water needed can vary, so start with a small splash and add more until the pesto evenly coats the pasta.
Basil Pesto Pasta FAQ & Tips
To make this basil pesto pasta dairy-free, follow our recipe for dairy-free pesto.
Store leftover basil pesto pasta in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Yes, store bought pesto will work, but we promise that homemade pesto sauce is lightyears brighter, fresher, and just more delicious.
Other Pesto Recipes You Might Like
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Equipment
Ingredients
Pesto:
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pasta:
- water
- ½ pound medium shells pasta, or other small pasta
- reserved pasta water
- parmesan cheese, for garnish
Optional Protein Additions:
Instructions
- Pesto (or sub store-bought): In a small food processor or blender, add 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup pine nuts, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and add additional salt, as desired. Add additional olive oil, a tablespoon at a time, to thin.
- Pasta + Pasta Water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook ½ pound medium shells pasta al dente according to package instructions. Remove approx. 1/2 cup pasta water and then drain pasta. Return to warm pot along with the pesto and a splash of pasta water (set remaining pasta water aside).
- Sauce it up: Stir and let the hot pasta water create a beautiful, thinned out pesto sauce that will coat your noodles beautifully! Add additional splashes of pasta water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency (you may not use it all).
- Serve: Serve with some grated or shaved parmesan cheese for garnish.
Notes
- Dairy-Free: you can use this dairy-free pesto recipe if you prefer.
- Pesto: definitely use a store-bought pesto if you want to make this recipe even easier!
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Variations: Experiment with add-ins like red pepper flakes, sliced grape tomatoes, feta cheese, black olives, or fresh mozzarella balls.
- Protein Add-ins: Add perfect grilled chicken breasts to make chicken pasta salad.
Liz Sipley says
This tasted like summer in a bowl! And I especially loved the tip to freeze the extra basil pesto to use again later! Thank you!