Pesto Pasta
Whip up this easy vegetarian Pesto Pasta in no time. It's so creamy and bright, making weeknight dinners a breeze.
Ingredients
- 320 grams dried pasta (such as fusilli or penne)
- 60 grams fresh basil leaves, packed
- 4 cloves garlic
- 60 grams pine nuts
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 40 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 40 grams cherry tomatoes, halved (optional, for garnish)
- 20 grams Parmesan cheese, shaved (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 0.5 teaspoon salt to the boiling water.
- Add 320 grams dried pasta to the boiling salted water and cook according to package directions until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. In a food processor, combine 60 grams fresh basil leaves, 4 cloves garlic, 60 grams pine nuts, 40 grams grated Parmesan cheese, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper.
- Pulse the ingredients in the food processor until finely chopped. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in 80 ml extra virgin olive oil until the pesto is smooth and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 120 ml of the pasta cooking water. Drain the remaining pasta thoroughly.
- Return the drained pasta to the empty pot. Add the prepared pesto sauce to the pasta and toss to combine, ensuring all strands are coated.
- If the pasta seems too dry, add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Thoroughly mix it together.
- Serve immediately. If desired, garnish each plate with halved cherry tomatoes, shaved Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.