Or add salmon (try this Grilled Salmon or Air Fryer Salmon). Add Protein: Top the pasta with Grilled Chicken, Baked Chicken or Poached Chicken.Add Veggies: Stir in chopped fresh spinach, cherry or grape tomatoes, roasted tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes.This basic recipe can be dressed up in different ways to fit your tastes. Veggie Sides: Roasted Carrots, Grilled Asparagus and Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts all pair well with this easy pasta recipe.To keep things even easier, slice up a loaf of crusty bread and serve olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side for dipping. Bread: If you ask me, a few slices of warm, buttery Garlic Bread and a plate of pesto pasta is dinner perfection.Salad: Some of our favorites include Italian Salad, Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad and this Arugula Salad.You can also freeze pesto in an airtight container for up to 3 months.Ĭomplete your Italian menu with one or two of these easy side dishes: Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top of the pesto to minimize contact with the air and preserve the bright green color. It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. To make this recipe come together even faster, you can make the pesto ahead of time.Add the pesto in a few parts, stirring after each addition, to evenly distribute it throughout the pasta.It’s worth dirtying another dish to not lose any of that precious pesto sauce! Don’t use the pasta cooking pot – since it’s hot it will melt the cheese in the pesto and the pesto will stick to the pot. Toss the pasta with the pesto in a bowl or clean pot.Rinsing it would keep the pesto sauce from sticking to the pasta as well. The starchy water will mix with the pesto to create a looser sauce. Be sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.If desired, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and some chopped fresh basil. Serve, topped with toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan.Add more of the cooking water as needed if the sauce seems too thick or dry, or isn’t evenly coating the pasta. To the pasta, add about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water along with the pesto sauce, adding a little bit of pesto at a time, stirring after each addition until well combined.Transfer the pasta to a clean bowl or pot. Don’t rinse it! You want the starch to linger on the pasta, as it will help the pesto to cling to the noodles. When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta into a colander. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions.Fresh Basil: Garnishing the pasta with chopped fresh basil accentuates the fresh, herby flavor of the pesto sauce.If you are sensitive to spice you can omit them. Red Pepper Flakes: Crushed red pepper flakes add a bit of heat and really make the flavors pop.Parmesan Cheese: Just about any pasta dish tastes even better with a sprinkle of Parmesan! Since Parmesan is also an ingredient in the pesto sauce, we’re doubling up on its cheesy, salty flavor.Toasting them in a skillet on the stove takes just a few minutes and enhances their flavor. Toasted Pine Nuts: The pine nuts add a rich nutty, buttery flavor to the dish.Use a classic basil pesto or try Kale Pesto Pasta or Spinach Pesto Pasta. Pesto Sauce: Pesto is the star of the show here, so be sure to use a good pesto sauce.Use either long pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine or bucatini, or short pasta shapes such as penne, rigatoni, rotini, gemelli or cavatappi. Spaghetti: Or substitute your favorite pasta.The ingredient list for this pasta recipe is short and simple! This Pesto Recipe is easy to make in just 10 minutes, and the flavor is so much better than store-bought. I also highly recommend making your own homemade pesto. The starch in the water will help the pesto to coat the pasta evenly, so that every bite boasts pesto’s signature nutty, garlicky, cheesy flavor.
The secret to making the best pesto pasta is to reserve some of the pasta cooking water to help create the sauce. I also highly recommend garnishing it with a pinch of red pepper flakes and some fresh basil to really make the flavors pop! Along with the pesto and noodles, this easy pasta recipe has toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese, to really enhance the nutty, cheesy flavors of the pesto sauce. Is there anything more comforting than a plate of pasta tossed with luscious pesto sauce? I don’t think so.
If you asked me for a list of my favorite easy dinner recipes, this pesto pasta would be right up near the top. It’s perfect for serving alfresco on a warm summer evening with a crisp salad and a glass of wine. When you’re looking for a simple dinner recipe with impressive results, this Pesto Pasta is sure to be a winner.
Pesto pasta recipe how to#
See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.
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