Pesto Pasta Recipe
Posted Aug 21, 2025
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This pesto pasta recipe is an easy, fresh & delicious dinner ready in 15 minutes! Pasta & pesto is made with the best, 5-minute pesto sauce and is a family favorite!
This pesto pasta recipe (aka: pasta al pesto) is my favorite way to use fresh summer basil.
Pasta and pesto is just a match made in heaven, especially because it’s an easy dinner ready in 15 minutes flat! It’s also very versatile, you can serve it warm or cold, as a main dish or side!
My pesto pasta recipe calls for making your own pesto sauce, but don’t let that intimidate you! It’s really easy to make in 5 minutes while the pasta is cooking.
Then simply stir the sauce into your favorite pasta, add some toasted pine nuts, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, etc. and you have a fresh & delicious meal ready in 15 minutes! You can add protein and serve it with homemade meatballs (or chicken meatballs), baked pesto chicken, etc. and it will be a family fave, just like it is for Jessica:
This was DELICIOUS! This was my very first time making pesto sauce so this was the first recipe I tried, and I’ll never look for another! My entire family loved it which is no easy feat. This will be added to the list of our family faves
– Jessica
Pesto Pasta: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Fresh basil. If you are short on basil, you can substitute up to half of the basil with fresh spinach (although I would prefer to just halve the recipe than make this substitution).
- Olive oil. avocado oil works well, but olive oil is best.
- Pine nuts. Pine nuts are key to making a classic pesto recipe, and shouldn’t be substituted if you’re going for a 100% authentic flavor. If you must, you can try using other nuts like walnuts, pecans or almonds.
- Minced garlic. Fresh roasted garlic is also a great choice.
- Pasta: I really enjoy using thick spaghetti noodles (Bucatini) in this pesto pasta recipe. However you can use your favorite like angel hair, tagiatelle, linguine, rigatoni, fusilli, wheels (rotelle), etc. Or try this pesto tortellini. Or use gluten-free pasta like chickpea pasta, or make zucchini noodles!
How to Make Pesto pasta
I will walk through how to make pesto pasta with you step-by-step with detailed photos and tips! Don’t forget to watch the video for further guidance as well!
Cook the Pasta
Begin by cooking the pasta. Bringing the pot of water to a boil and cooking the pasta takes longer than making the sauce, so it’s the first step.
Use salted water
Whenever you make pasta of any kind, be sure to cook it in water as salty as the ocean. Just kidding, kind of! It’s important because adding salt to the water makes the pasta more flavorful.
Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain it in a colander but do not rinse. Return the drained pasta to the pot it was cooked in and cover it with a lid to keep it warm for serving.
Do not rinse the pasta
The pasta continues to absorb liquids after it has been cooked and drained, and if you rinse it with water it will absorb water instead of the flavors from the pesto sauce. If you need to, add some olive oil to keep it from sticking, but only a little bit.
Make the Pesto Sauce
Like I said above, making pesto sauce is so quick and easy. However, if you are really in a pinch you could always use store bought pesto sauce. For the sake of this recipe, I’ll assume you want to make your own pesto!
Begin by toasting the pine nuts over medium-low heat. I suggest doing this while the water is coming to a boil.
Since pine nuts are an expensive ingredient, you want to be sure to watch them closely, do not cook them on high heat, and stir them every 30 seconds so they don’t burn. It should take 4-5 minutes to toast them.
Once they’re toasted, transfer the pine nuts from the warm pan to a small bowl or plate to cool. Set aside 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts to serve on the pesto pasta, and use the other ¼ cup to blend in the sauce.
While the pine nuts are cooling and the pasta is cooking, blend the olive oil and fresh basil together until they are well combined but not completely smooth. You may also use a food processor.
Next, add ¼ cup pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and blend until you reach your desired consistency.
You may need to pause, scrape down the sides of the container, and continue blending depending on the size of your blending container.
note on consistency
Some people like pesto sauce a little bit chunky, some like it smooth. The great thing about making your own homemade pesto is that you can choose.
Assemble the Pesto Pasta
Now it’s time to assemble the pesto pasta. Since the pasta has been cooked and should be warm, simply add the pesto sauce, garnish with toasted pine nuts and tomatoes (if desired) and serve.
Serve
Garnish the pesto and pasta with chopped fresh basil, parmesan cheese, the extra pine nuts and baby tomatoes (cooked or raw). If you’d like to serve it with a protein or as a side dish, here are some Italian recipes that compliment it well.
- Serve it with homemade meatballs (or turkey meatballs).
- Add some balsamic roasted vegetables (I do this often).
- Serve it with grilled chicken, Italian chicken or baked pesto chicken.
Store or Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
You can serve this pesto pasta warm or cold, and if you’d prefer to serve it warm you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Pesto Pasta Recipe FAQs
I really enjoy using thick spaghetti noodles (Bucatini) in this pesto pasta recipe! However you can use any pasta you’d like. Here are some suggestions:
– Spaghetti noodles: bucatini, angel hair, tagiatelle, linguine, etc.
– Shaped pasta: bow ties (aka Farfalle) , rigatoni, fusilli, wheels (rotelle), etc.
– Chickpea pasta is a great gluten-free option.
– Use zucchini noodles (or any other veggie noodles) for a veggie version.
You can serve this pasta warm or cold. To serve it cold just store it in the refrigerator until it cools.
You should not heat the pesto sauce, because it will change the color, taste and texture of the fresh basil. This is why I recommend keeping the pasta warm. The pasta itself will “heat” the pesto without changing its composition!
Yes, you can freeze the assembled pesto pasta, or you can freeze the sauce and make the pasta fresh when you’re ready to serve.
This recipe is easily scaled. I have halved it (if my garden didn’t have quite enough basil to make the full batch of pesto) and even tripled it! It all depends on the amount of fresh basil you have available.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Homemade Pesto Sauce
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 6 Tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)
- 4-5 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Pasta
- Salted Water
- 16 ounces bucatini spaghetti (or your preferred pasta)
- 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- Baby tomatoes, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, etc. (optional garnishes)
Instructions
Cook Pasta
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, be sure to use salted water.
- Drain (do not rinse), return to warm pot, cover with a lid and set aside.
Make the Pesto Sauce
- Heat pine nuts in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, stirring often until they are browned (4 to 5 minutes). Watch them closely.
- Transfer the pine nuts to a bowl to cool. You will use ¼ cup (4 Tablespoons) of nuts in the sauce, and reserve 2 Tablespoons roasted pine nuts for serving over the finished pasta.
- Put olive oil and basil leaves into the container of a blender or food processor.. Blend or process for about 60 seconds until the ingredients are combined but not totally smooth. You may need to pause, scrape down the sides, and then continue blending.
- Add ¼ cup pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and blend or process until you reach your desired consistency (about 30-60 seconds). You may need to pause, scrape down the sides, and then continue blending.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired, pulse to combine.
Assemble & Serve
- Add the pesto sauce to the warm pasta in the pot and stir to combine.
- Transfer the pesto pasta to a serving dish.
- Garnish with remaining toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, chopped fresh basil and if desired some fresh tomatoes (cooked or raw).
- Serve warm or transfer to the refrigerator to chill and serve cold.
Video
Notes
- Pasta: I really enjoy using thick spaghetti noodles (Bucatini) in this recipe. However you can use any other pasta with great results. Here are some suggestions:
- Spaghetti noodles: like I said, bucatini is my favorite. But angel hair, tagiatelle, linguine, etc.
- Shaped pasta: bow ties (aka Farfalle) , rigatoni, fusilli, wheels (rotelle), etc.
- Chickpea pasta is a great gluten-free option!
- Use zucchini noodles (or any other veggie noodles) for a veggie version.
- Olive oil. You can use flavor-infused olive oils (like garlic, herb, etc.) just make sure it would compliment the basil. Another neutral oil like avocado oil works well.
- Pine nuts. Pine nuts are key to making a classic pesto recipe, and shouldn’t be substituted if you’re going for a 100% authentic flavor. If you must, you can try using other nuts like walnuts, pecans or almonds.
- Minced garlic. Fresh roasted garlic works well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious! I followed exactly, using 5 TBSP of olive oil. Thank you so much for sharing.
This was DELICIOUS! This was my very first time making pesto sauce so this was the first recipe I tried, and I’ll never look for another! My entire family loved it which is no easy feat. This will be added to the list of our family faves. A few details that might be helpful for some elements I personally was unsure about: I used 5 tbsp of olive oil, 6-7 fresh garlic cloves, and I measured 2 heaping cups of the fresh basil leaves. I used one 12 oz box of pasta, and this was the perfect amount of pesto for all the pasta. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much Jessica!
Hi 👋,
I made your chocolate chip cookies. They were amazing!! Then I looked at the rest of your recipes. I’m all in at this point!! New subscriber on YouTube now!! Thank you!!
Everything looks Sooo yummy!!
So! Dang! Good! Have to grow more basil to make even more.
Hi.
Thank you so much. I made it. all my family love it.
This looks delicious and simple. If using store bought pesto, what would the measurement be?
I made this pesto sauce and it was the best I’ve tasted. My son loved it too, is going to be a staple at home. Thank you.
Thank you Anita!! I’m so glad you and your son enjoyed it!
Hello. How long is this good in the fridge? Can I freeze it?
Hello! It lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days! Yes you can freeze it! I like to freeze it in ice cube trays for individual servings! Or larger containers if you’re planning on using it all at once!