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Basil pesto pasta is wonderfully delicious and much easier to make than you might think. All you need to do is prepare a batch of basil pesto, then toss it with freshly cooked pasta. Add a splash of the starchy pasta-cooking water to help the sauce cling and reach the perfect consistency.
Basil, or “Qian Ceng Ta” (千层塔) in Chinese—literally “thousand-layered pagoda”—refers to the leaf shape of this amazingly fragrant and nutritious herb. Taiwanese cooking widely uses basil. Classic dishes like San Bei Ji (Three-Cup Chicken) and San Bei Doufu (Three-Cup Tofu) are braised with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sesame oil—one cup of each, giving the dish its name “Three Cup” (San Bei 三杯).
Basil pesto is one of my favorite things to make in the summer, especially with basil from our garden. Fresh pasta is always best—I love pairing it with homemade egg noodles. Pesto also freezes beautifully. Whenever I harvest a big batch of basil, I blend up pesto and freeze it in small portions so I can enjoy basil-pesto pasta anytime.
To make an easy and delicious basil pesto, you’ll need fresh basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Adjust the garlic to your preference—add a little for mild flavor or a lot if you love that garlicky kick.
When I add extra garlic and turn it into a basil-garlic pesto, I also use it to make basil-garlic flatbread. It’s incredibly aromatic and always a hit.
Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe
Basil pesto pasta is wonderfully delicious and much easier to make than you might think. All you need to do is prepare a batch of basil pesto, then toss it with freshly cooked pasta. Add a splash of the starchy pasta-cooking water to help the sauce cling and reach the perfect consistency.
Ingredients
For Basil Pesto:
- 2 cups of fresh basil leaves, firmly packed in a 2-cup glass measuring cup
- 1/2 cup, about 80 g parmesan, freshly grated
- 1/2 tsp salt, such as Himalayan pink salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3-8 cloves of garlic, minced, use 3 for a mild garlic flavor
- 8 tbsp olive oil
For Pasta
- 1 lb of dried pasta/spaghetti of your choice, or freshly made pasta or noodles
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Fill an 8-quart stockpot about 80% full with water and bring it to a boil. This may take 10–15 minutes. While waiting, prepare the basil pesto.
- Wash and rinse the basil leaves. Add olive oil, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Add the basil leaves in batches and pulse to loosely chop them. Add the garlic and Parmesan, and pulse a few more times until blended.
- Remove the basil pesto from the food processor and set it aside.
- When the water comes to a rolling boil, add 1 lb of dried spaghetti or your choice of pasta. Use a stainless steel spider strainer to separate the noodles. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Using the same strainer and long cooking chopsticks, remove the cooked noodles from the pot in small batches.
- Add 2 cups of freshly cooked pasta and 2 tablespoons of basil pesto to a bowl. Toss to mix well. Add a splash of the hot starchy pasta water if needed to help the pesto coat the noodles.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I usually use home freshly made egg noodle to pair with basil pesto sauce.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 125Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 521mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 3gSugar 0gProtein 6g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.