Thaw in refrigerator overnight or melt on low heat on stovetop, then can proceed with rest of recipe making it creamy. Once frozen, you can remove from the tray and place in a freezer bag for easy storage. My favorite way to freeze pesto is using an ice cube tray. Storing pesto: You can use the pesto immediately for this recipe, store it in the fridge for 2-3 days in airtight container, or freeze it to use at a later date.Do not substitute half and half for heavy cream or the consistency will not be the same. Heavy cream: If you want the sauce more creamy add 1 additional tbsp of heavy cream.The starches that are released from the pasta while cooking, naturally help thicken sauces and make them silky smooth in texture. Reserved pasta water: Always reserve some pasta water prior to draining the pasta.It gives the pesto an extra depth of flavor and enhances the nutty flavor. Pine nuts: If you have the time, try lightly toasting your pine nuts in a small skillet.Discard the big stalks because, unlike cilantro where the stems are just as delicious as the leaves, the thick basil stems are bitter and will affect the taste of the pesto. Basil: When prepping the basil for pesto, use the leaves and the smaller/softer stems.Serve with additional cheese over the top (optional).Add in 2-3 tbsp of reserved pasta water until the pasta is fully coated with the sauce and silky. Add in the cooked/drained pasta into the pesto sauce and using tongs, carefully toss to coat the pasta.Whisk together until the sauce is smooth and fully combined. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Place the chicken in the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Add in the 3 tbsp of heavy cream and crushed red pepper flakes (optional, if you do not like spicy then omit). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt to taste. In a large skillet with high walls over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter, add in the pesto, and stir to combine.(To stop here and store pesto, see note #5) Blend again and add additional 2 tbsp olive oil. Open and scrape the sides with a spatula to get any leaves that might have been stuck. On high, slowly pour in the olive oil through the spout. While pasta is cooking, in a food processor add the basil leaves, garlic cloves, pine nuts, cheese, salt/pepper.Reserve ⅓ cup of pasta water and drain pasta. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil, cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions.The tomatoes add little bursts of fresh, tartness while the pine nuts give the dish some crunch. When I want to level up my Pesto Pasta, I like to add chopped cherry tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. To finish the Pesto Pasta, you simple transfer to a plate and top with grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. You want the pesto to form a creamy sauce that clings to the pasta, but you don’t want to see water pooling at the bottom of the bowl. At this point, if the pasta looks a bit dry, you can splash in some of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen it up. You then toss the pasta with the pesto until evenly coated. Next, you transfer the pasta to a big bowl and top with 1 cup of pesto (homemade or store-bought). Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. To make Pesto Pasta, you start by cooking 1 pound of pasta in a big pot of salted water until al dente. During the winter months when basil sometimes isn’t that fresh, I like to use store-bought pesto. During the summer months, I use my homemade Basil Pesto. You could also use Pecorino Romano here.įinally, the pesto needs to be delicious. Next, the Parmesan cheese should be freshly grated. First, the pasta should have curls or ridges, so the pesto sauce can easily cling to it. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and put it into the warm oven for about 20 minutes to warm up to room temperature. Add the leftover pesto pasta into a baking dish and toss it with extra cooking water that you saved. There are just a few ingredients here, so you really want to make sure they are top quality. First, preheat the oven to 350☏, then turn it off. It can be enjoyed hot, warm or cold, and you can mix in any ingredient that pairs well with basil. The beauty of this dish is that it’s highly adaptable. If I’m feeling a little ambitious, I might toss in some chopped cherry tomatoes and pine nuts. I like to top mine with grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Pesto Pasta is simply pasta that’s been dressed with pesto sauce. There are countless ways to use pesto, but this easy Pesto Pasta recipe is one of my favorites. Earlier this week, I shared my favorite Basil Pesto Recipe.

Pesto pasta recipe