Pasta al Pesto

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Simple and tasty, can you ever beat pesto pasta, or Pasta al Pesto? It's so good and easier than you think.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Margie Nomura

Ingredients

For the pasta:

7 oz dried pasta
mini mozzarella pearls to serve
cherry tomatoes to serve

For the pesto:

3.5 oz pine nuts toasted
3.5 oz fresh basil handful of leaves reserved
6.75 fl oz olive oil about generous 3/4 cup
1 garlic clove optional
1 lemon zest and juice
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2.5 oz Parmesan
salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add all of the pesto ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. Taste the pesto and see if you need to add any salt; you may find it’s salty enough from the cheese. Decant the pesto into a clean jar.
Bring a medium pan of water up to a boil, add the pasta and then lower the heat cooking for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. When cooked, drain the pasta, reserving a little pasta water.
Add 3 generous tablespoons of your pesto to the pan, followed by 1 tablespoon of the reserved pasta water, mix to combine.
Tip the pasta into the sauce and warm together before dividing between two pasta bowls. Top with mini mozzarella pearls if you like. Garnish with more basil leaves and cherry tomatoes. Season and drizzle over your best olive oil.

Notes

Make-ahead and storage

To store: Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days.

To reheat: I find the best way to reheat is in a pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and stir often until it's hot and melted again. The butter helps the sauce keep its nice creamy texture. Otherwise, the microwave works too for 1-2 minutes until piping hot.

To freeze: I wouldn't recommend freezing the pasta once it's all mixed up, as I find pasta doesn't always freeze that well. What you can do is freeze the pesto! Either freeze it in an airtight container, ice cube trays, or a freezer bag. The freezer can sometimes darken the pesto in color, so don't be alarmed, but it will still taste delicious. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Make-ahead: You can make the pesto ahead of time and have that ready (or use store-bought). See the tips on how to store the pesto. When ready, boil the pasta and make up the sauce as instructed. Toss in the pasta, and you're done.

More quick tips

How to toast pine nuts: Pine nuts burn fast, so a stovetop toast where you can watch them closely beats the oven every time. Use medium-high heat and keep the pan moving constantly – you’re looking for an even, light golden color all over, which usually takes just a couple of minutes. Pull them the second they turn, since the gap between perfectly toasted and burnt is smaller than you might think.

How to store basil: Treat any extra basil like cut flowers – trim the stems and place the bunch in a small glass of water. Drape a loose plastic bag over the herbs and tuck it in to seal in the humidity. It will stay fresh for close to a week.

Nutrition