Pasta with Pesto Sauce
Transform your weeknight dinner routine with this vibrant and flavorful **Pasta with Pesto Sauce** recipe, a timeless dish that combines simplicity with gourmet appeal. Featuring al dente pasta coated in a velvety, homemade basil pesto made with fresh basil leaves, nutty Parmesan cheese, rich pine nuts, and a hint of garlic, this dish is a celebration of fresh ingredients. The addition of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of pasta water ensures a silky, emulsified sauce that clings to every strand. With the bright zing of lemon juice and the option to garnish with more cheese and fresh basil, this recipe offers a quick, herbaceous, and aromatic meal ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for a crowd-pleasing dinner, this easy pesto pasta is a must-try for lovers of Italian cuisine!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 400 grams spaghetti or pasta of choice
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 0.5 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 0.25 cup pine nuts
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 0.5 cup water (from pasta cooking)
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the spaghetti or pasta of your choice to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine the fresh basil leaves, grated parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper.
Pulse the ingredients together until they are finely chopped.
With the processor running, slowly stream in the extra virgin olive oil until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
Add the lemon juice and pulse again to mix. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Reserve 0.5 cup of pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add the pesto sauce to the pasta and toss to combine, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to reach desired sauce consistency.
Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with additional parmesan cheese and a few fresh basil leaves if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
512 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 38.5 g | 49% | |
| Saturated Fat | 6.8 g | 34% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2.9 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 10 mg | 3% | |
| Sodium | 415 mg | 18% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 33.3 g | 12% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.2 g | 8% | |
| Total Sugars | 0.9 g | ||
| Protein | 11.0 g | 22% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 125 mg | 10% | |
| Iron | 1.5 mg | 8% | |
| Potassium | 109 mg | 2% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
