Make this 30-minute easy pesto pasta for weeknight dinners with Italian flavors. Only fresh flavors and aromas in pasta al pesto that you can serve as a salad or main dish.
Pasta al pesto, also called pesto alla Genovese, is a classic Italian pasta dish from Genoa, full of flavor and easy to make. Even homemade pesto is easier to make than you think, and you can use it in a lot of pesto recipes later!
Gina’s Recipe Rundown:
Texture: Slightly chewy pasta with creamy pesto sauce and crunchy, juicy tomatoes – the balance is so simple and yet so perfect.
Taste: Basil flavors in sauce and garnish just scream summer to me and pair so well with the nutty flavor of pesto! I love how rounded and comforting the taste is.
Ease: Incredibly easy recipe that starts with just some salted boiling water and a pack of pasta.
Why I love it: When I need a perfect weeknight meal, easy, quick, and delicious, pasta salads and easy pasta dishes are always on the roster. This pesto pasta is on top of that list!
My best tips to make pesto pasta recipe is to stick to fresh ingredients: make your pesto from scratch, buy Parmigiano Reggiano in a block and grate it yourself, and don’t let the dish sit too long, it is best enjoyed fresh!
If you love pesto, you have to try my easy pesto pasta salad and this effortless sheet pan pesto chicken dinner recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super easy weeknight dinner idea your whole family will love – you only need a few ingredients and minimal prep.
- Versatile comfort food: it can be eaten hot or cold.
- A healthy vegetarian meal loaded with healthy fats and fresh ingredients.
Ingredients Notes
See printable recipe card for step-by-step instructions and exact quantities.
- Penne pasta. You can also make spaghetti al pesto or choose your favorite pasta shape. The best types of pasta for pesto pasta are those without too many little crevices.
- Homemade basil pesto. See a quick recipe below or use your go-to pesto recipe. If you’re short on time, you can use good-quality store-bought pesto, but I highly recommend next time trying to make it yourself.
- Parmesan cheese. Buy a block and grate at home! Freshly grated parmesan is best for pasta, as packaged grated cheeses often have some additives preventing them from sticking together, but in pasta, those will create lumps.
- Cherry tomatoes. I love adding fresh tomatoes, but it is completely optional.
- Fresh basil leaves are also optional for garnish, but it just makes the presentation restaurant menu worthy!
Kitchen Equipment
How To Make Homemade Pesto Sauce (Pesto Genovese)
- To make homemade basil pesto sauce, I usually use a food processor or a blender, but a good old pestle and mortar can work too.
- Simple ingredients: half a cup of pine nuts (or walnuts), 2 cups basil leaves, a small garlic clove, fresh lemon juice (2 tbsp), salt and pepper, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Load everything except oil, parmesan, and basil in the food processor, pulse until homogeneous, then add basil, pulse again, then drizzle oil and pulse briefly, and lastly add Parmesan.
- You can make more basil pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays – take a few when needed for your next pasta dish.
- Not everyone likes walnut pesto, but it is much cheaper to make. If possible, stick to the classic recipe using pine nuts.
How To Make Pesto Pasta
1: Cook Your Pasta
- Prepare the pasta to al dente according to package instructions in a large pot of salted water.
- Reserve ¼ cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
- Drain the pasta, return it to the pot with the reserved pasta water.
2: Add Pesto & Parmesan Cheese
- Immediately add the pesto and parmesan cheese to the cooked pasta, and add back 1/4 cup of pasta water. Stir to combine.
- Cook over low heat for a few minutes, just until heated through.
3: Add Tomatoes & Serve
Garnish with halved cherry tomatoes and additional cheese when serving.
Storage
Store leftover pesto pasta for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
If you want to reheat, remove any fresh basil leaves (they can turn black) and reheat the pesto pasta on the stove on low heat. The fresh basil pesto can darken when reheated.
Substitutions & Variations
- Bulk it up. Try adding fresh spinach, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, spring mix, diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, or olives.
- Add protein. Chicken breasts and chickpeas work really well with pesto pasta.
- More flavors. You can add minced garlic cloves and chopped onion as well, although I find these two a little bit too powerful for this dish.
- You can use Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmesan.
- Garnish. Besides cherry tomatoes, you can also add lemon juice, use red pepper flakes, sunflower seeds, raw or toasted pine nuts, or arugula.
- Make it vegan and gluten-free. Use nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese and/or gluten-free pasta.
Expert Tips To Make The Best Pasta Al Pesto
- For a creamy texture, add ½ cup of half and half or heavy cream when you stir in the pesto and cheese. Cook until heated through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- We add starchy pasta water to pesto pasta because it helps loosen up the thick sauce and helps it coat all the pasta better.
- Serve hot or cold. If serving cold, make al dente pasta so that the noodles are soft. Drain, rinse in cold water to stop it from cooking further, and cool it down.
- Taste before serving, you can add salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.
- Basil plant actually grows really well, so you can even have one at home to have an endless supply.
- If adding fresh leaves as garnish, wait a bit for the pasta to cool; hot pasta can wilt greens.
Popular Questions
What Goes Well In Pesto Pasta?
Pesto pasta pairs wonderfully with tomatoes (both fresh and sun-dried), leafy greens, like spinach, arugula, or basil, nuts, and proteins like chicken. Lemon juice and lemon zest, as well as cheeses (from Parmesan to ricotta), also work well with pesto pasta dishes.
Can You Use Pesto Straight From The Jar?
Absolutely! Using store-bought pesto straight from the jar is a convenient option that saves time. For the best flavor, I still recommend making pesto sauce from scratch.
How To Make Pasta With Store-Bought Pesto?
Cook pasta first. Save about ¼ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to a large bowl. Add the store-bought pesto and toss to coat the pasta thoroughly.
Gradually add the reserved pasta water as needed to create a creamy, smooth sauce that clings well to pasta. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste, then garnish with grated parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, or fresh basil for a flavorful dish.
If you love this dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other pasta dinner ideas, too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
More Pesto Recipes
Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken Dinner
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Easy Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 ounces penne dried
- 1 ¼ cups basil pesto homemade
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly finely grated
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes sliced in half (optional topping)
- Basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Serving suggestions: can be eaten hot or cold.
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta to al dente according to package directions.
- Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Drain the pasta, return it to the pot with the reserved pasta water.
- Immediately add the pesto and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Cook over low heat for a few minutes, just until heated through.
- Garnish with cherry tomatoes and additional cheese when serving.
Notes
- For a creamy pasta, add ½ cup of half and half or heavy cream when you stir in the pesto and cheese. Cook until heated through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Serve hot or cold. If serving cold, cook pasta al dente so that the noodles are soft. Drain, rinse in cold water to stop it from cooking further, and cool it down.
- Try adding fresh spinach, arugula, spring mix, diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, or olives.
Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days.
Equipment
- Large Pot
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Created by Gina Kleinworth
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