Pesto Pasta
Bright basil pesto tossed with al dente pasta — fresh, garlicky, and on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 12 ozspaghetti or linguine(or any long pasta)
- 2 cupsfresh basil leaves(packed, stems removed)
- ½ cupParmesan cheese(finely grated, plus more to serve)
- ⅓ cuppine nuts(lightly toasted)
- 3 clovesgarlic
- ½ cupextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tspkosher salt(plus more for pasta water)
- ¼ tspblack pepper(freshly ground)
- 1 tbsplemon juice(optional, brightens the pesto)
Method
- 01
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously — it should taste like mild seawater.
- 02
Toast the ⅓ cup pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Transfer immediately to a plate to stop cooking.
- 03
Combine the 2 cups basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, and 3 cloves garlic in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until coarsely chopped.
- 04
With the processor running, stream in the ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a slow, steady pour until the pesto is smooth but still has some texture.
- 05
Add the ½ cup Parmesan, 1 tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and 1 tbsp lemon juice if using. Pulse 3–4 more times to combine. Taste and adjust salt.
- 06
Cook the 12 oz pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, scoop out ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside.
- 07
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot off the heat. Add the pesto and toss to coat, splashing in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is silky and clings to every strand.
- 08
Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and a crack of black pepper.
Adapted from public domain & community sources