THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED AND FIRST APPEARED ON ITALIAN KITCHEN CONFESSIONS IN 2020.
When I think of Pasta with Homemade Pesto, I still have vivid summer pesto memories from my childhood. There were always 2 plants of basil on the balcony, and I can still see my dad blending all the ingredients and tossing it with pasta. Such a simple creation tasted so amazing!
But what is Pesto? It is an Italian sauce that is made of basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan and Pecorino cheese all blended with EVOO. It is quick and easy to make. The result is a flavorsome, nutty and creamy sauce that in Italy is traditionally used to toss a plate of pasta.
Why you will love this recipe
-It is a 30 minutes meal! So it is perfect for those busy nights when you still want to bring a homecooked meal to YOUR table.
-It is a great vegetarian pasta dish, the addition of green beans and potatoes makes it a complete meal.
-Pesto is very easy to make, and leftovers can be used in endless way…keep reading!
– This recipe can easily be part of your rotation as it is that easy.
-Your kids will love the creaminess of the pesto sauce and will not realize they are eating veggies too!
Pesto origins and regional adaptations
Pesto comes from the Italian verb “pestare” that means to pestle, and it refer to the movement made with the pestle tool to crush and amalgamate all its ingredients.
It originates from Liguria, a region in the northwest part of Italy. The main and key ingredients of Pesto is the basil. Given Liguria’s narrow shape, farming takes place on cultivation terraces, whose exposure to the sun and wind allow basil to grow in abundance.
This sauce is typically served with trofie, which is homemade pasta, or with trenette, which is a sort of long dry pasta. In Liguria, this dish always comes with green beans and potatoes boiled together with the pasta. The traditional Italian classic way to prepare pesto – still used nowadays – consists of using a mortar and pestle the ingredients in different steps. But we will learn a different and quicker method, and hopefully this easy pesto sauce will become your quick solution for a weeknight meal!
How to make homemade Pesto
How to make fresh pesto is a quick recipe that will be ideal in those days you want to serve a meal in 30 minutes or less. My homemade pesto is an easy pesto recipe, with all the traditional Italian ingredients and it is based on using a blender.
Start by washing your basil leaves and dry them carefully, key tip to avoid your basil to turn black, which will result in a bitter pesto sauce.
Add all the ingredients, and 1 tablespoon of the EVOO and pulse. Once the ingredients are coming together, add slowly the rest of the olive oil. The EVOO is the secret to obtain the perfect consistency. Adding more EVOO will result in a creamier sauce while adding less EVOO will result instead in a thicker sauce where you can still see smaller pieces of nuts and basil leaves.
And now that you have your pesto sauce, here some tips to prepare the best pasta, like you were in Italy 🙂 !
Italian Cooking Tips for Dry Pasta:
I would love to take credit for these tips, but I must confess I learned these secrets from my dad.
- WATER: Bring 1 gallon of water to a roaring boil. I suggest 1 to1.5 gallons of water per pound of pasta. WHY? The Pasta in fact should swim and have the space to move, if you use too little water, the pasta will stick together and not cook evenly.
- SALT: Always add salt to the water when it starts boiling, it should taste as seawater. The ratio is 1 or 2 tbsp for 1 pound of pasta. ( 1 tbsp in case you will use common table salt, 2 tbsp in case of kosher salt). WHY? The pasta will taste better as it will absorb the salt while it’s cooking. Adding salt just at the end will make some bites to salty and some others not tasty.
- REMOVE THE COOKING WATER: While the pasta is cooking, remove half a cup of the cooking water. WHY? You will use it to dilute your sauce.
- ADD COLD WATER: Once the pasta is ready switch off the stove, quickly take the pot to your sink, and add a bit of cold running water. WHY? It will stop the cooking, ensuring your pasta is “al dente” (firm to the tooth). Even after you switch off the stovetop, the pasta will continue cooking.
- ADD 2 TBSP OF THE COOKING WATER TO THE PASTA BOWL: With a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta to the pot or bowl where you have the sauce, in this case, the pesto, add 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. WHY? It will help it better coat your pasta. Toss until combined and plate it!
Variations and substitution for the Classic Pesto Pasta recipe
If you want to make your pesto vegan, replace the parmesan and pecorino with 2 tbsp of cashew nuts and 1 more tbsp of pine nuts. Check out my vegan pesto recipe for variations.
If you cannot find Pecorino cheese you can sub it with Parmesan. Pine Nuts are also very expensive these days, so you can sub them with cashews or almonds.
MORE PESTO RECIPES IDEAS FOR YOU
Do you have some pesto leftover? Lucky you!
– Try the Pesto Salad with Shrimp and Mixed Grains
– It is a great sandwich spread, try my Quick and Savory Pesto Panini
– For example you can serve it as a dip with a plate of crudité and some Rosemary Focaccia Bread
– Not to mention that it is a great sauce for grilled fish, shrimp or chicken.
– You can also drizzle it over a Green Detox Spring Soup or any other soup, to add a touch of extra yumminess.
How to store homemade Pesto
A big jar of homemade fresh pesto can last up to 7 days in the refrigerator, giving you plenty of endless ways to enjoy as it is a very versatile sauce.
Which wine to pair with Pesto Pasta
Pasta with Homemade Pesto definitely calls for a white wine pairing. My recommendation for a wine pairing with this dish is a Vermentino from Liguria, because its herbaceous flavor pairs well with the basil, the main ingredient of pesto.
If instead you feel more adventurous, a great choice would be Grillo. It’s a Sicilian wine that is very high in minerality and saltiness due to the terrain on which the vineyards grow. Another classic choice would be a Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli, with its grassy and herbaceous notes.
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the Homemade Pesto
- 2½ cups basil leaves
- ½ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ½ tbsp parmesan
- 2 tbsp pecorino
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
- ⅛ tsp salt
For the Pasta
- 1.5 gallon water
- 2 tbsp salt kosher
- 1 pound pasta linguine
- 1⅔ cup potatoes cubed
- 1⅔ cup green beans chopped
Instructions
To make the pesto
- Add in the cup of a blender the basil, the garlic, 6 tablespoons of parmesan, 2 tablespoons of pecorino cheese, the pine nuts and 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Blend until the ingredients come together in a paste.
- Continue blending as you gradually add the olive oil, until everything is blended together and it appears creamy.
To make the Pasta
- Before starting to prepare the pesto, put a pot of water on the stove top and bring to a boil.
- When the water is boiling, add 2 tbsp salt (see notes), the pasta, the green beans and the potatoes.
- Cook as per the time in the instructions. It should be al dente. Transfer 2 tbsp of the cooking water (see notes) to the Pesto Sauce you just made, so it will coat better.
- Put a splash of cold tap water to the pasta pot, so that it will stop the cooking (see notes) and then with a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta directly to the bowl where you have the Pesto.
- Add 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water (see notes), toss the pasta, plate it and sprinkle on top some fresh basil leaves, pine nuts and serve it. MANGIA and enjoy!
Notes
- For the homemade pesto do not add more than the salt specified, the Parmesan and Pecorino are already salty.
- Always add salt to the water before boiling, regardless of the sauce you will put on your pasta. The ratio is 1 to 2 tbsp per pound of pasta, depending on the salt you will use.
- While the pasta is cooking, remove half a cup of the cooking water, you will use to dilute your sauce.
- Once the pasta is ready switch off the stove, quickly take the pot to your sink, and add a bit of cold running water to stop the cooking. This will ensure your pasta is “al dente” (firm to the tooth).
- Add the pasta to the pot or bowl where you have the sauce, add 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, which will help it better coat your pasta and toss until all is combined.
Nutrition
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Preparazione accurata – risultato molto gustoso