This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Pesto pasta is one of those recipes that sounds fancy but is honestly one of the easiest dinners you can make! Toss homemade basil pesto with a big bowl of spaghetti and you’ve got something that tastes way better than it has any right to for a 20-minute meal.
Love a simple pasta recipe? You need to try our Homemade Alfredo Pasta as well as our Creamy Lemon Pasta and our CREAMY Pesto Pasta (similar to this one but with heavy cream)!
Why you’ll love this basil pesto pasta!
This is one of our go-to summer recipes on busy weeknights when we just need dinner on the table fast! Plus, I almost always have a bunch of basil just waiting to be used from my little garden. If you’re new to making fresh pesto at home, you’re going to LOVE IT! It’s one of those things that is TRULY so much better than store-bought and I’m positive you’ll never go back :)
Why You’ll Love This
- Ready in 20 minutes – pasta cook time included
- Uses homemade pesto that genuinely blows store-bought out of the water
- Simple ingredients, nothing obscure
- Easily customizable with whatever add-ins you have on hand
- Works with any pasta shape you’ve got in the pantry
Ingredients needed
The full list of ingredients for this easy recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
- Spaghetti – or any pasta you like; linguine, penne, and rigatoni all work great here
- Fresh basil leaves– sweet basil is classic; sub in some spinach or parsley if you’re running low Pine nuts – toast them for the best flavor; walnuts or cashews work as a budget-friendly swap
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated melts in better; Pecorino Romano is a good swap for a saltier bite
- Garlic – anywhere from 1-5 cloves depending on how bold you want it
- Lemon juice – keeps the pesto bright green and adds a little freshness
- Extra virgin olive oil – the base of the sauce, so use one you actually like
How to Make It
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written homemade pesto pasta recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you :)
- Cook your pasta in a medium pot according to package directions until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water in case you want to thin your pesto at all. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, make the pesto by combining the ingredients in a large food processor. Blend the toasted pine nuts, garlic cloves, and lemon juice. Then add in the basil and parmesan and pulse about 10 times. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified.
- Add a little more olive oil as desired to get the pesto to your desired consistency. You can also add in a bit of pasta water to thin it out as desired.
- Toss the drained pasta with the basil until fully combined. Serve with fresh basil, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and additional parmesan + pine nuts. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining – a splash of that starchy water makes the pesto cling to every strand instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- Toss the pasta with pesto off the heat so the sauce stays bright and doesn’t oxidize.
- Toast the pine nuts! – it only takes 3 minutes and adds a depth of flavor that makes the whole dish taste more complex. Trust me!
- Don’t over-blend the pesto; a little texture is a good thing.
- Add a thin layer of olive oil on top of any leftover pesto to keep it from browning in the fridge.
- Add cherry tomatoes and diced mozzarella to make this a simple pesto pasta salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but homemade makes a noticeable difference here – it’s brighter, fresher, and takes only 10 minutes.
Spaghetti is classic, but long noodles like linguine or short shapes like fusilli (which grabs sauce in the ridges) work great too.
Totally – this is great with white beans, chickpeas, grilled tofu, or a soft-boiled egg on top. If you’re not vegetarian, you could add chicken or shrimp!
A squeeze of lemon juice in the pesto helps, and topping any stored pesto with a thin layer of olive oil keeps it from oxidizing.
Easy Pesto Pasta Recipe (Ready in 20 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta, I used spaghetti
- ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 3-4 cloves garlic*
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as desired
- For serving: extra parmesan, pine nuts, and fresh basil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- (Optional but highly recommended): Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes until they start to darken in color. This step is totally optional and I've made pesto many times without toasting the nuts. But I love the extra flavor.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. Add the pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are broken up – about 10 times. Next, add the basil and parmesan and pulse until the basil is broken into small pieces – about 10 pulses.
- With the food processor on low speed, slowly drizzle in ⅓ cup of olive oil. Add more olive oil as desired for a smoother consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto, adding the reserved pasta water, a small splash at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. I usually add just a couple tablespoons of pasta water. You can leave it out completely as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
