Pesto Pasta
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This pesto pasta is a go-to summer dinner you can throw together in minutes (especially if you’ve made the pesto ahead).
Pesto pasta just screams 80s and 90s—back when pesto sauce was on every restaurant menu and suddenly felt very gourmet. But trends aside, it’s a classic for a reason: when done right, it’s fresh, flavorful, and the easiest way to turn a box of pasta into a really satisfying dinner. This version is made with walnuts, fresh basil, garlic, Parmesan, and good olive oil, all blended into a vibrant green sauce that comes together in minutes.
The pesto can be made ahead (it keeps for a week in the fridge or a few months in the freezer), so all you really have to do at dinnertime is boil the pasta. I like it with spaghetti, but just about any shape works. Serve it as-is or dress it up with grilled chicken, shrimp, or slow-roasted cherry tomatoes. Add a simple Caprese salad and some garlic bread, and dinner’s done.
What You’ll Need To Make Pesto Pasta
- Walnuts: Add rich, nutty flavor to the pesto. Toasting them first isn’t essential, but it deepens their flavor and makes the dish taste more complex if you have time. Just spread them on a baking sheet and pop them in a 350°F oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Garlic: Raw garlic adds bold, punchy flavor to the pesto sauce. Always use fresh cloves—not the pre-minced stuff in jars, which can taste dull and metallic.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: Gives the sauce its signature flavor and vibrant green hue. For the brightest color, use young, tender leaves and blend the pesto just until smooth. Save a few small leaves to toss on top before serving.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Blends into the pesto to create a rich, silky texture. Since the flavor really comes through, use a good-quality oil—Lucini and California Olive Ranch are both solid picks for supermarket brands.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: Stirred into the pesto for sharp, salty depth and also great for sprinkling over the pasta just before serving. Be sure to use the real deal—look for the name stamped on the rind if buying a wedge, or make sure it’s labeled “Parmigiano-Reggiano” if already grated.
- Pasta: Any shape works, but I love how long noodles like spaghetti or linguine twirl and cling to the pesto. That said, short shapes like fusilli or gemelli also work well because their curves catch the sauce in every bite.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil (the water should taste salty like the sea). Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water; you’ll use it to help loosen the sauce later. Don’t rinse the pasta after draining—those surface starches are what help the pesto cling to the noodles.
Pro tip: It’s easy to forget to reserve the pasta water. I like to place a measuring cup in the sink next to the colander as a visual reminder.
Step 2: Make the pesto. While the pasta cooks, add the walnuts and garlic to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Toss in the basil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and blend until it forms a paste. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until everything comes together, then add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and give it one last whirl. (You can store pesto in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it for up to 3 months.)
Step 3: Toss it all together. Add the drained pasta back to the pot and spoon in the pesto along with ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Give it a good toss until everything’s well coated, adding a little more pasta water if it seems dry. Taste and see if it needs a pinch of salt or pepper.
Step 4: Serve. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano and a few fresh basil leaves, if you like. Serve right away while it’s warm and saucy—enjoy!
More Pesto Recipes You May Like
Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pesto
- ⅓ cup walnuts, toasted (see note)
- 2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
For the Pasta
- 1 pound (16 oz) pasta, any shape (I like spaghetti best)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional for serving
- Fresh basil leaves, optional for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. (Heads up: When the pasta is done cooking, you’ll need to reserve some of the cooking water; I like to set out a liquid measuring cup near the colander as a visual reminder because it’s easy to forget!)
- Meanwhile, make the pesto: Place the walnuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely chopped, about 10 seconds. Add the basil, salt, and pepper and process until mixture resembles a paste, about 1 minute. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly blended. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and process a minute more.
- Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander. Add the pasta back to the pot and toss with the pesto and ½ cup of the cooking water. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the water little by little until the consistency seems right. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then serve topped with grated cheese and fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is my go to pesto recipe! I’ve made two batches of pesto already this summer from my pot of basil on the veranda. I may have another harvest in a week or so. I make both walnut and pine nut pesto. I freeze the pesto in large “cocktail size” ice cube trays and then vacuum seal them in individual portions. Makes for a quick dinner with pasta and grilled chicken.
This is the EXACT recipe that I’ve used since the 80’s. I clipped it out of a Bon Appetite magazine and never looked for another. I still use pine nuts but all proportions are the same. It’s delicious and a keeper!!