This easy pesto pasta stars al dente noodles with basil pesto sauce and a splash of pasta water for the best silky coating. It makes a simple side dish or dinner with added protein!
The best recipes are the simplest, in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I love to master things like the best margherita pizza and artisan sourdough bread. But the simplicity of pesto pasta with homemade basil pesto truly is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
So excuse me if this recipe is simple: I promise it will impress everyone! It’s great as a pasta side dish or a simple dinner idea with added protein like chicken or shrimp.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
All you need are a few ingredients for this recipe:
- Pasta: I love bucatini, which is a long noodle similar to spaghetti that is hollow. You can also use spaghetti or any of the noodles below.
- Pesto sauce: Homemade is best, but a good jar works too. See below for my favorite pesto recipes.
- Pasta water: This is the key ingredient: the starchy water actually helps to create a sauce with the pesto.
- Parmesan cheese: Add a sprinkle on top to finish.
Homemade or Store-Bought Pesto Sauce
For the very best pesto pasta you can make at home, you’ve got to start with my Homemade Basil Pesto! Of course, you can use your favorite purchased brand of pesto too. But making your own at home takes the flavor to new heights. To make basil pesto, you’ll need a food processor or mortal and pestle. You also can use a small blender.
For the homemade basil pesto, you’ll need 1 cup of fresh basil leaves. It’s best if you’re growing it at home, but if you’ve got to purchase it, that’s ok too! (By the way: if you’re looking to grow basil at home, here’s all you need to know about How to Grow Basil.)
If you’d like other variations on the theme, try my Vegan Cashew Pesto, Cashew Pesto, or Walnut Pesto.
How to Make Pesto Pasta
Once you’ve got your pesto ingredients, this recipe is a breeze to make! Here’s how to make basil pesto pasta:
- Make homemade basil pesto: In a food processor, blend the fresh basil leaves, nuts (pine nuts or cashews), Parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh lemon juice, salt, and olive oil. Blend until a creamy sauce forms.
- Boil the pasta: Start a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente (tender but still a bit firm), then reserve a bit of the pasta water and drain.
- Add pesto and pasta water: Add the pasta back to the pot. Stir in the pesto sauce, a bit of the pasta water, and some sliced cherry tomatoes. Season with kosher salt to taste.
Love pesto? Try our Best Recipes with Pesto!
Vegan Variation
How to make this recipe vegan? If you eat a plant based diet, we’ve got your back! Here’s what to do to make this into a vegan pesto pasta: make our Easy Vegan Pesto instead! This recipe uses a secret ingredient that you might not expect to substitute for the Parmesan cheese. Head over to that recipe to see the tips to making seriously good plant-based pesto.
Best Pasta Shapes for Pesto
You can use any type of pasta for this pesto pasta: because pesto goes with anything! Here are some of our favorite pasta noodles to try.
- Bucatini: It’s like a hollow spaghetti! It’s our favorite long noodle
- Linguine: Another nice long noodle to try, that’s a little thicker
- Cavatappi: These corkscrew shaped noodles are perfect for trapping pesto sauce
- Penne: Penne is always a winner!
- Gemelli: Another fun shape that’s like twisted twin tubes
Pro Tips for Cooking Pasta
When Alex and I visited Italy on our honeymoon, we tasted pasta that was truly al dente for the first time. This wasn’t the limp, gooey stuff we were used to in the US. The pasta was firm enough that you had to really bite through each piece, making it so much more satisfying. To cook pasta to al dente, follow these tips:
- Start taste testing a few minutes before the package instructions indicate to. The pasta should be tender, but still firm on the inside so that it has a little bite.
- Some chefs say that you should see a tiny bit of white on the inside of the pasta, others say it should have just disappeared. Either way, you’ll want to catch it just in that moment.
- Stay vigilant: pasta can go from al dente to overcooked in minutes!
What to Add to Pesto Pasta
I love this pesto pasta plain, but to make it into a full meal you’ll need to either make it a side dish or add some protein.
- Chicken: Top with chopped pan seared chicken breast or my favorite air fryer chicken thighs.
- Seafood: Add sauteed shrimp or make my shrimp pesto pasta.
- Vegetables: Stir in sauteed mushrooms, or fresh cherry tomatoes.
- Beans: Make my easy white beans for a plant-based protein alongside.
- Something smoky: Bacon is a classic pairing with pesto; since I don’t eat bacon I love my shiitake bacon here!
- Extra creamy: For a richer sauce, make my pesto cream sauce.
To round out the meal, serve it with garlic bread and a simple arugula salad or apple salad.
Storage and Reheating
This pesto pasta is served warm from the skillet while the sauce has a silky texture. However, leftovers do store refrigerated up to 3 days.
You can reheat it by warming the pasta in a skillet with a splash of water until just heated through. Adding a splash of cream also works to help revive leftovers.
Dietary Notes
This pesto pasta recipe is vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, follow the notes in the recipe. For gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
Easy Pesto Pasta Recipe
This easy pesto pasta stars al dente noodles with basil pesto sauce and a splash of pasta water for the best silky coating. It makes a simple side dish or dinner with added protein!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bucatini pasta (or spaghetti)*
- ½ cup homemade Best Basil Pesto, Vegan Cashew Pesto, Cashew Pesto, or Walnut Pesto (or purchased pesto)
- ½ cup pasta water
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the pesto: Best Basil Pesto, Vegan Cashew Pesto, Cashew Pesto, or Walnut Pesto.
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, checking for doneness a few minutes before the package instructions indicate (the pasta should be tender but still slightly firm).
- When the pasta is done, reserve about 1 cup pasta water. Then drain it and add it to a large bowl. Toss the pasta with the pesto, pasta water, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and stir until evenly coated. Taste and add additional salt or pasta water if needed (the exact amount depends on the pesto and your pasta water, so it will vary — salt until the flavor pops!). Stir in tomatoes if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
*This quantity makes 3 to 4 modest servings, so you may need to double based on your eaters hunger level.
