Pasta with pesto is a classic Italian dish that is quick, easy, and delicious. It is made with a few simple ingredients, including pesto, which is a sauce made from basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. Pesto can be made at home or purchased pre-made, and it can be used to flavor a variety of dishes, including pasta, pizza, and grilled vegetables. In this article, we will explore some of the best recipes for pasta with pesto, providing you with a range of options to suit your taste and dietary preferences.
Here are our top 10 tried and tested recipes!
JUICY PESTO PASTA!
Recipe video above. This is how to make a great pesto pasta that's slick with pesto sauce without adding tons and tons of oil which makes it overly oily. The secret is using the pasta cooking water - it emulsifies with the oil in the pesto which makes it cling to every strand of pasta. A technique used in every Italian household! Make this with homemade pesto for the best flavour.
Provided by Nagi
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the salt.
- Add pasta and cook for the length of time per the packet.
- Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of of the pasta cooking water.
- Drain pasta in a colander, leave it for a minute.
- Transfer pasta to a bowl (do not use pasta cooking pot, too hot).
- Add pesto and 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss to coat pasta in pesto, adding more water if required to make pasta silky and saucy, rather than dry and sticky.
- Taste, add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parmesan.
SIMPLE PESTO PASTA
Simply noodles with a pesto and butter sauce. You could add chopped cooked chicken or shrimp to make a fuller meal.
Provided by MOMof5
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 15m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil; cook the fettuccini at a boil until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain. Transfer the fettuccini to a bowl.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic and pesto in the melted butter until warmed, 2 to 3 minutes; pour over the fettuccini and toss to coat.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 392 calories, Carbohydrate 44.4 g, Cholesterol 35.5 mg, Fat 19.9 g, Fiber 2.5 g, Protein 10.9 g, SaturatedFat 9.5 g, Sodium 204.7 mg, Sugar 2 g
PESTO PASTA
Easy to make, but full of flavor! Good hot or cold.
Provided by Lauren
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 15m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until done. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium low heat. Add pesto, onion, and salt and pepper. Cook about five minutes, or until onions are soft.
- In a large bowl, mix pesto mixture into pasta. Stir in grated cheese. Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 224.7 calories, Carbohydrate 32 g, Cholesterol 43.5 mg, Fat 7.2 g, Fiber 2.5 g, Protein 7.8 g, SaturatedFat 1.5 g, Sodium 71.3 mg, Sugar 0.4 g
PASTA, PESTO, AND PEAS
Blend fresh basil pesto at home for Ina Garten's Pasta, Pesto and Peas recipe from Barefoot Contessa on Food Network, and have a vibrant springtime meal.
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories main-dish
Time 32m
Yield 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.
- Place the walnuts, pignoli, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.
- Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.
- To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.
EASY PESTO PASTA
This supper couldn't be easier. Make our filling pesto pasta recipe for a quick, family-friendly dish you can throw together with storecupboard ingredients
Provided by Mary Cadogan
Categories Dinner, Lunch, Main course, Pasta, Snack, Starter, Supper
Time 5m
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Boil spaghetti in a large pan according to pack instructions. Drain well, then return to the pan with the pesto and half the Parmesan. Toss well, then tip into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 336 calories, Fat 5 grams fat, SaturatedFat 2 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 62 grams carbohydrates, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 14 grams protein, Sodium 0.23 milligram of sodium
PASTA WITH PESTO
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories dinner, quick, weekday, pastas, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until fragrant, browned and not burned. Pulse them in a food processor until chopped but not at all powdery.
- Wash the basil; dry it in a salad spinner. Put it in the food processor with the garlic and as much oil as you need to allow the machine to do its work. Process, adding salt, pepper and oil as needed. When the pesto is smooth and delicious, stir in or pulse in the cheese.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it's tender but not mushy. Dress with the pesto, thinning with a little of the cooking water if necessary. Serve immediately.
PASTA WITH UNPESTOED PESTO
Provided by Nigella Lawson : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and then add the linguine. While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil into a large frying pan and throw in some peeled cloves of garlic. Cook over gentle heat until the garlic starts to turn light brown and its scent wafts upward. Remove the cloves from the pan and take the pan off the heat. Roughly chop or shred a mound of basil leaves, set aside. In a second dry frying pan, toast a handful or so of pine nuts. When the pasta is ready, drain it, toss it in the garlic-infused olive oil, and then transfer to a warm bowl. Grate over some Parmesan, then, using a vegetable peeler, shave in some pecorino and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Toss well, throw over all but a small handful of the basil leaves, and turn again. Grate a little more cheese over and sprinkle with the remaining shredded basil leaves.
PESTO PASTA WITH CHICKEN
Easy and delicious pasta with chicken. Serve with crusty bread and salad for a quick dinner. Use as much or as little pesto sauce as you like. Using homemade pesto will taste even better, but it adds to prep time. Enjoy!
Provided by Kristin
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 30m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender, then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden, and cooked through.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 328 calories, Carbohydrate 43.3 g, Cholesterol 22.1 mg, Fat 10.1 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 17.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.5 g, Sodium 153.5 mg, Sugar 1.9 g
PESTO PASTA RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: bow tie pasta, pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese, cherry tomato
Provided by Hannah Williams
Categories Lunch
Time 30m
Yield 2 servings
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve with a hard-boiled egg and sliced bell pepper.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 610 calories, Carbohydrate 88 grams, Fat 16 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 25 grams, Sugar 5 grams
PASTA WITH CHOPPED PESTO AND PEAS
This pesto doesn't call for a food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle - and it's better for it. Instead, all of the elements are chopped and mashed together by hand. (Pesto means "to pound, crush or smash" in Italian.) In Tuscany, this would be done with a half moon-shaped mezzaluna, but a chef's knife does the job, too. The result is a more textured mix with bright pops of flavor, like a sauce, herb salad and nut garnish in one. Basil and pine nuts are classic choices, but this version, "I Dream of Dinner (So You Don't Have To)," by Ali Slagle (Clarkson Potter, 2022), was guided by the pesto ratio in "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" by Samin Nosrat. It works with whatever soft herbs and nuts that you like and have on hand.
Provided by Ali Slagle
Categories weekday, pastas, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small or medium skillet over medium, toast nuts, shaking the skillet occasionally until browned (try one to see), 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to cool.
- As the nuts cool, into a large bowl, grate the Parmesan on the small holes of a box grater (or pulse chunks in a blender).
- Add the garlic clove and a pinch of salt to the pile of nuts and coarsely chop the nuts and garlic together. Add a handful of the herbs and another pinch of salt, and coarsely chop. (Opt for forceful, purposeful chops as opposed to soft, timid ones.) Toss and smash the mixture every few chops. Repeat with the remaining herbs, salting at each step, until a wet, coarse paste forms. Stir into the cheese, then stir in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the peas to the pasta. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain. Add the pasta and peas to the pesto and stir to combine. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper, more oil and more Parmesan.
Tips:
- Use fresh herbs for the pesto. The fresher the herbs, the more vibrant the flavor will be.
- Don't overcook the pasta. Al dente pasta is the perfect consistency for this dish.
- Reserve some of the pasta cooking water. This will help to thin out the pesto sauce and make it more creamy.
- Add some vegetables to the pesto pasta. This is a great way to boost the nutritional value of the dish.
- Garnish the pasta with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. This will add a touch of elegance and flavor to the dish.
Conclusion:
Pasta with pesto is a delicious, versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It's a great way to use up fresh herbs and vegetables, and it can be easily tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you like your pesto sauce simple or complex, chunky or smooth, there's a recipe out there for you. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give pasta with pesto a try. You won't be disappointed!
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