Pesto Pasta

This Pesto Pasta recipe is an easy homemade basil pesto sauce made with a healthy secret ingredient. Ready in 20 minutes or less!

Course Main Course, Main Dish, Pasta

Cuisine Italian, North American

Keyword Homemade Pesto, Pesto Pasta

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 8

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 526kcal

Author Chrissie

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

water and salt for cooking the pasta
1 pound pappardelle pasta or another wide, flat pasta variety such as linguine, fresh or dried
2/3 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat and salt the water generously (we like to add 1-2 tablespoons of salt to a large pot of pasta water).
Once the water boils, cook the pasta according to the package directions to al dente.
To your food processor, add the pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, spinach, basil and Parmesan cheese.
Place the lid on the food processor and process on low speed while you slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture as the food processor is running. Turn the food processor up to medium-high and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and reserve about 1/3 cup of the pasta water.
Add the pesto sauce to the hot pasta in the pot. Toss the pasta together with the sauce and if it appears dry, drizzle in a little bit of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce. This may or may not be necessary, depending on the variety of pasta you are using and its starch content.
Serve immediately with some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

To make this recipe ahead of time, prepare the pesto as directed in the recipe and store in the fridge in jar or an airtight container for up to 4 days until ready to serve. Cook the pasta and toss with the sauce right before serving.

Nutrition