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Sometimes a simple pasta sauce just does the trick, and nothing is simpler—or more satisfying—than a basil pesto sauce. I especially love making it when my garden basil is growing abundantly. The aroma of freshly blended basil and garlic instantly brightens up any kitchen.
The secret to making great pesto pasta is all about technique. First, save some of your pasta water—it’s liquid gold. Adding it to the pesto helps create a smooth, silky sauce that clings beautifully to the pasta. Second, make sure you mix the pesto off the heat. If you stir it directly on the stove, the basil will darken and lose its vibrant color, which makes it look less appetizing.
I love using long, thin pasta like spaghetti or linguine for this dish because the strands soak up the sauce perfectly, but you can use any shape you like—whatever you have in the pantry will work just fine.
When it comes to the pesto itself, I like to toast my pine nuts until they’re golden and fragrant and use roasted garlic for a subtle sweetness. The blend of basil, olive oil, parmesan, lemon juice, and zest creates that classic Italian balance of freshness and depth.
And for the balsamic vinegar, I always prefer a thicker, richer one. It adds a beautiful touch of sweetness and richnessto the pesto that you don’t get otherwise—it rounds out the flavor and ties everything together.
This pasta is the kind of dish that comes together in minutes but tastes like something special. Whether you’re making it for a quick weeknight meal or a casual lunch in the garden, it’s simple, elegant, and endlessly delicious.
Basil Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
Pesto sauce:
- 4 garlic cloves or roasted garlic cloves
- ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp chili pepper flakes
- 6 cups basil
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ lemon, zest only
Pasta:
- 1 lb pasta, such as linguine or fusilli
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup pasta water
- pesto sauce
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- To roast the garlic, take garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, turning it halfway. If they are smaller garlic cloves, perhaps you only need to roast them for 2 minutes. Just keep a close eye on them.
- If your pine nuts are not toasted already, then drizzle pine nuts with olive oil and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1-2 minutes until they turn a nice light golden brown.
- In a food processor, puree all the ingredients together, minus the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Transfer basil mix to a bowl, then add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and mix together
- Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the package. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to pot of water. Make sure to save ¼ cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Toss pesto sauce with cooked pasta, pasta water and parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
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