Pasta with Basil Pesto
Homemade pesto takes ten minutes and delivers a fragrance no jar from the shop can match. To keep it bright green and free of bitterness, we pulse the basil in short bursts and stir in the cheese and part of the oil by hand. A spoonful of starchy pasta water then turns the pesto into a silky sauce that coats every piece.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 690 kcal
Ingredients
For the pesto
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What to use instead
Walnuts or almonds can replace pine nuts. For a strictly vegetarian version, choose a hard cheese made without animal rennet, as traditional Parmesan and Pecorino use it.
For the pasta
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Toast the pine nuts
Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan, until pale golden and fragrant. Tip them onto a plate at once so they don’t overbrown. Keep a few for serving.
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Step 2: Grind the base
Put the garlic, salt and pine nuts in a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs. If you have a mortar and pestle, pound them instead; it’s even better.
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Step 3: Add the basil
Add the basil leaves and half the oil. Pulse in short 2–3 second bursts until you have a coarse purée. Running the blade for long warms the basil, and it darkens and turns bitter.
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Step 4: Stir in cheese and oil
Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the Parmesan, Pecorino and remaining oil with a spoon. The pesto should be thick but soft, like a loose paste.
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Step 5: Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente, following the packet time. Before draining, scoop out half a mug of the cooking water.
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Step 6: Toss off the heat
Return the pasta to the pot, off the heat. Add the pesto and 3–4 tbsp pasta water and toss vigorously until the sauce turns creamy and coats the pasta evenly. Serve topped with the reserved pine nuts and a few basil leaves.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Never heat pesto in the pan: the basil darkens and the cheese clumps into little lumps.
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Swap
Walnuts or almonds can replace pine nuts. For a strictly vegetarian version, choose a hard cheese made without animal rennet, as traditional Parmesan and Pecorino use it.
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Variation
Genoa-style: boil a diced potato and a handful of green beans along with the pasta, then toss everything with the pesto.
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Storage
Pesto keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge in a jar topped with a thin layer of oil. Freeze it without the cheese in ice-cube trays and stir the cheese in after thawing.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 690 kcal | 2,760 kcal |
| Protein | 20 g | 80 g |
| Fat | 34 g | 136 g |
| Carbohydrates | 73 g | 292 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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