If you are looking for a quick and easy dinner recipe, look no further than this bold and flavorful recipe for Pesto Pasta! Made with tender pasta and vibrant homemade pesto, this 20-minute dinner recipe is packed with intense flavor.
When it comes to imparting intense flavor with minimal ingredients I love starting recipes off with basil pesto. It is bold, fresh, and herbaceous and effortless elevates dishes like this simple pesto pasta, baked pesto chicken and pesto pizza.
Why You Will Love Pesto Pasta
- Vibrant Flavor. Made with tender pasta, bright lemon juice, basil pesto, tons of parmesan cheese, and fresh tomatoes, pesto pasta sings with flavor
- Quick Pasta Dinner. This recipe takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. And yes, that includes making homemade pesto!
- Suitable for Company. Even though this recipe is easy enough to prepare on a busy weeknight, pesto pasta is impressive enough to entertain with.
Pesto Pasta Ingredients
- Pesto: While you can use store-bought pesto, nothing compares to the flavor of freshly made pesto. I have included my favorite homemade basil pesto recipe in the recipe card. It is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese.
- Pasta: I recommend using noodles that are thicker or ridged, such as linguine, corkscrew, or penne pasta, as they will catch more of the pesto sauce than thinner noodles, such as angel hair or thin spaghetti noodles.
- Tomatoes: Adding grape or cherry tomatoes to this pesto pasta recipe adds a fresh, bright element to the pasta. Feel free to omit them if you don't care for tomatoes.
How to Make Pesto Pasta
The following tips and photos are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prepare Pesto
Use your time wisely and prepare the pesto while you wait for the pasta water to come to a boil. This will help the dish come together quickly.
Cook Pasta in Heavily Salted Water
Cook your pasta in heavily salted, rapidly boiling water for 1 minute less than the package directions state, or until the pasta is just al dente (has a bit of a bite left to it. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta's cooking water before draining the pasta. This will help the pesto to coat the noodles and keep the pasta saucy, without the need for adding additional olive oil.
Dress Pasta with Pesto
Dress the Pasta. Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto, adding ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water at a time until the pasta is properly dressed and coated evenly with the pesto.
Finish with Flavor
To really make this pesto pasta sing with flavor, add fresh lemon juice, halved grape tomatoes, and a generous grating of fresh parmesan.
∗Tips for Perfect Pesto Pasta ∗
Pesto Pasta is one of the easiest pasta recipes to make, but there are a few tips to keep in mind if you want to make the BEST pesto pasta.
- Use Homemade Pesto. My recipe for basil pesto is the perfect choice for this pasta dinner, as it is extremely flavorful, simple to make, and made with high-quality ingredients. Store-bought pesto sauce is often made with unnecessary ingredients and rarely uses good-quality olive oil.
- Heavily Salt the Pasta Water. Always add a generous pinch of salt to your boiling water before adding the pasta. The salt will help to flavor the pasta as it cooks.
- Let the Pasta Cool Slightly Before adding Pesto. Cooling the pasta for just a couple of minutes will help to prevent the heat from the pasta from turning the peso brown and will help to keep the vibrant green color of the pesto intact.
- Add Pasta Water. Adding the starchy pasta water will help the pesto coat the pasta, ensuring your pasta is well-sauced.
- Finish with Lemon and Parmesan. Adding fresh, bright lemon juice, and salty parmesan cheese will transform pesto pasta from a good recipe to a great recipe.
- Don't Reheat. Pesto pasta can brown when reheated. But don't panic if you have leftovers! It is delicious even when served cold or at room temperature.
Pesto Pasta Variations
- Add Chicken or Shrimp. If you want to amp up the protein in this pesto pasta, add grilled or baked chicken, leftover rotisserie chicken, or sauteed or grilled shrimp to the pasta right before serving.
- Make it Creamy. If you are looking for a creamy, decadent version of pesto pasta, add up to ⅓ cup of heavy cream or 4 ounces of softened cream cheese to the cooked pasta when adding the prepared pesto.
- Gluten-Free Pesto Pasta: Use your favorite gluten-free brand of pasta.
- Add Veggies: Roasted asparagus, fresh corn, or roasted bell peppers all pair well with the flavors in the pasta. Add chunks of roasted asparagus, steamed corn cut off the cob, or diced roasted red bell peppers to the pasta along with the pesto.
Make it a Meal
Pesto pasta is a flavorful, simple dish that makes a simple, hearty meal all on its own. However, I love to pair this pasta with a Caprese Salad when tomatoes are in season or a Caesar Salad in the winter months. And a side of Homemade Garlic Toast makes this a memorable meal packed with impressive flavor.
More Easy Pasta Dinners
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Pasta with Peas
If you enjoyed this recipe for Pesto Pasta, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta linguine, spaghetti, fusilli, or penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup prepared pesto
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano or more to taste
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes cut into halves, optional
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
PESTO
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ¼-⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil use more for a smoother pesto
Instructions
For Homemade Pesto
- Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Toast them over medium-low heat, tossing frequently, just until the nuts begin to toast and you smell them. This will only take 3-5 minutes. Remove the nuts from the heat and let cool slightly.
- Place the cooled nuts into a food processor, fitted with an S-blade. Add in the garlic, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and pulse until everything is chopped well.
- Add the parmesan and basil and pulse until combined. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined.
For Pesto Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Once boiling, add the kosher salt and pasta. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the length of time listed on the package of pasta.
- Just before draining the pasta, scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set it to the side. Drain pasta in a colander and let it cool in the colander for 2-3 minutes before transferring it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the prepared pesto and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to coat pasta in pesto, adding more water if required to make pasta saucy.
- Add the juice from the lemon, parmesan cheese, and tomatoes if using. Toss again to coat the pasta evenly with the cheese and lemon juice.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parmesan and basil leaves
Kristyn
Mmmm!!! Love this!! The homemade pesto is delicious!! I added some grilled chicken & the family ate it so fast!! Super family-friendly!
Kristen Chidsey
It is always a hit with my crew as well! Thrilled to hear you all enjoyed and thanks for sharing.
Kit
Reminded me of my summer trip to Italy where I first fell in love with pesto.So simple and easy to follow. Love the flavors! Delicious!
Kristen Chidsey
Love that this reminded you of Italy. Simple foods, great flavors 🙂
Mel
This pesto pasta was so easy to make and my family loved it!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing this, Mel! Thanks for sharing.
Chynna
I love this pasta. It's such a quick dinner meal when I'm in a rush.
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you so much, Chynna! I am thrilled to hear you enjoy this one.
Stewball
I've never made or eaten pesto. I only have a blender 🤷🏼♀️
Kristen Chidsey
Hi there! It is hard to make pesto without a food processor or REALLY high powered blender. You can purchase great quality pestos in the deli to give this pasta a try.