Pesto Pasta – A Beautiful Mess

I love pesto pasta! This is a dish I’ve been making ever since I lived in a studio apartment in Hollywood right after I graduated from college. It’s budget-friendly, easy to make, and only requires two ingredients. You can also take your pesto pasta to the next level by making homemade pesto. But there’s no shame in commercially available pesto here! Traditional basil pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil. It’s fresh and bright, with a slightly grassy flavor from the olive oil.

This pesto pasta recipe requires no added oil or fat (other than what’s already in the pesto) and is creamy and flavorful. I like this as a quick weeknight dinner, but you can also serve this as a side dish or simply add some protein with pesto pasta.

Related: Next, learn how to make fresh pasta at home. And how to make homemade gnocchi.

pesto sauce ingredients

You can use any shape of pasta you like or whatever pasta you have on hand. If you want to jazz up your presentation a bit, you can add fresh basil leaves, grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper, chopped walnuts, or even cherry tomatoes.

direction

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Be sure to add salt when boiling water. Different shapes and types of pasta may require different cooking times.

Reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. The pasta water makes it super creamy!

Once drained, add the pesto and pasta water to the cooked pasta. Please enjoy warm. If you have lemon juice on hand, you can also add a squeeze of lemon juice. It’s just an option.

Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. Actually, I love this cold pasta.

What does pasta water do?

Pasta water contains starch, making it a great ingredient for thickening sauces and other recipes. When making pasta dishes, it’s often a good idea to save all the pasta water before discarding it and use it as a base for many homemade sauces.

See more pasta sauce recipes

What to add to pesto pasta

Adding a protein like shrimp or a salad to this pasta makes it a more balanced meal.