Pasta al Pesto
Indulge in the delightful blend of fresh basil, pine nuts, and parmesan, creating a flavorful pasta al pesto. Enjoy the freshness and the gorgeous simplicity of this classic dish.
Ingredients
- 12 oz dried pasta such as trofie, trenette, or linguine
- 2 C basil leaves packed
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ C pine nuts
- ½ C parmesan cheese grated
- ½ C olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the fresh basil, minced garlic, toasted pine nuts, and grated Parmesan cheese. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
- With the food processor or blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is smooth and well combined. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little more olive oil to achieve the desired consistency.
- Season the pesto sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Remember that the parmesan cheese is salty, so you may not need much additional salt.
- In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the pesto sauce until the pasta is evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, you can add some of the reserved pasta cooking water, a tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Serve the pasta al pesto hot, garnished with additional grated Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts, if desired.
Video
Notes
Don't forget to reserve the extra pasta water from cooking! You definitely will need it to loosen up the sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 250gCalories: 996kcalCarbohydrates: 123gProtein: 45gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 587mgPotassium: 3424mgFiber: 48gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 984IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 2823mgIron: 109mg
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