Easy Pesto Pasta is made in 20 minutes using just 5 ingredients. Featuring garlicky, herby, homemade pesto, it's the perfect light summer supper!
It’s that time of year when everyone starts swapping garden goodies. My neighbors grow the best cucumbers, a friend of ours has the most gorgeous tomatoes, and I’ve got several zucchini suppliers around town (rubs hands together gleefully).
When it comes to fresh basil though, the Trader Joe’s plant I potted a few months ago is growing enough leaves for me, the neighborhood, and then some.
My favorite way to use the bounty is to make fresh basil pesto, which is the star of my Easy Pesto Pasta.
This light, summery dinner comes together in just 20 minutes and is easy enough to make any night of the week!
What is Pesto Sauce?
Pesto is a sauce originating from Genoa, Italy, featuring fresh basil leaves that are crushed together with garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt, and olive oil. It’s herby, a little garlicky, and deeply flavorful.
My version of basil pesto skips the cheese to keep it dairy-free and swaps walnuts for pine nuts, which can be expensive and hard to find.
Whip up a batch up to three days ahead of time to use in this dish.
Ingredients Needed
Just four additional ingredients are needed besides the pesto, and one of them is salt!
- Pesto: my homemade recipe blows any store-bought product out of the water. If you’re in a pinch, though, I highly recommend Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto.
- Pasta: spaghetti is the preferred pasta for this recipe, and Rummo Gluten Free Spaghetti is fantastic. If you don’t need to eat gluten free, you can use regular spaghetti.
- Salt: seasons the pasta cooking water, which creates a light sauce for the dish.
- Lemon: a spritz of fresh lemon juice added to the pasta at the end brightens the flavors.
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated on top of each plate of pesto pasta adds creaminess and flavor. Feel free to skip if you’re dairy-free, or use Panacheeza Vegan Parmesan Cheese, which is genuinely delicious.
What to Serve with Pesto Pasta
I personally feel satisfied with a plate of pesto pasta all on its own for dinner, though it’s also delicious paired with your favorite protein. Plus Gluten Free Focaccia, of course!
Here are some ideas:
- Crispy Gluten-Free Chicken Cutlets
- Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Pesto Chicken Breasts
- Roasted Shrimp
- Smoked Salmon
Top Tips for Success
This simple, 20-minute pasta dinner recipe is as easy as they come. That said, keep these tips in mind when making it:
- Make the pesto ahead of time. Save time by preparing the homemade pesto up to 3 days in advance and storing it in the refrigerator, though it’s perfectly fine to make and use fresh.
- Save the pasta cooking water. The starchy pasta cooking water is what’s added to the pasta to create a creamy sauce for the dish. Be sure to reserve a couple of cups BEFORE draining the pasta.
- Don’t overcook the pesto. Pesto is a fresh, raw basil sauce so don’t cook it for more than a minute or two after adding it to the pasta.
Serve with Gluten-Free Chicken Cutlets
How to Make Easy Pesto Pasta
Step 1: Cook the pasta.
Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous palmful of salt, which will both flavor the pasta and the pasta cooking water we’ll use to create the sauce.
Next add spaghetti and cook until the pasta is al dente.
I’ve found Rummo Gluten-Free Spaghetti to be a phenomenal dupe for regular spaghetti. Brown rice pasta, like Jovial, is also great!
Heads Up!
The amount of pesto my homemade recipe makes is enough for 12oz of pasta. If you aren’t gluten free, and hav e a 16oz box of pasta, be sure you only use 3/4 of the box, and not the full pound.
Step 2: Reserve the pasta cooking water.
Before draining, use a glass measuring cup to carefully scoop out 1-1/2 – 2 cups of the salty, starchy pasta cooking water and set it aside.
Step 3: Add the pesto to the pasta.
Drain the pasta then add it back into the pot along with the pesto plus a generous splash of the pasta cooking water. Stir with tongs until a light, silky sauce forms, adding more pasta cooking water as needed.
You’ll know the dish is ready when the sauce clings to the pasta and you can see a thin layer of sauce around the edges of the pot.
Squeeze in a touch of lemon juice, then taste and add more salt if needed.
Can I Use Store-Bought Pesto?
Sure, but the flavor strength will depend on the brand. Start with 1/2 cup of store-bought pesto, then add more to your liking. I highly recommend Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto, which I actually prefer over their classic pesto flavor.
Scoop the pesto pasta into bowls then top with freshly grated parmesan cheese – again Panacheeza plant-based parmesan is super delicious, too!
Serve immediately with your favorite protein, if you’d like, plus a loaf of warm bread for the ultimate hygge meal.
I hope you love this fresh, easy, and summery pasta – enjoy!
More Light Summer Dinners
- Pasta Pomodoro
- Pasta Fresca
- Grilled Chicken Salad
- Pesto Veggie Pasta
- Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Healthy Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz gluten-free spaghetti
- salt
- 1 batch Simple Pesto
- 1/2 lemon
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add a palmful of salt – do not skip this step as the salty water will help season the dish. Add the spaghetti then cook until al dente. BEFORE DRAINING remove 1-1/2 – 2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water then set it aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the pesto plus a generous splash of the pasta cooking water. Stir with tongs until a creamy sauce has formed, adding more pasta cooking water as needed to create a light and creamy sauce that clings to the pasta. When you stir the pasta you should be able to see a light sauce form in the edges of the pot.
- Turn the heat off then add a small amount of fresh lemon juice – the dish should taste brightened, not lemony – plus salt, if needed. Scoop the pasta into bowls then serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- For the best flavor, make the homemade pesto at least one day ahead of time.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
