20 Minute Pesto Pasta
An Italian classic, ready fast!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 400kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta spaghetti, or your other favorite
- 3/4 cup pesto 6.5 oz
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Parmesan cheese shredded or garnish
- fresh basil for garnish
- 1/8 - 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Heat a large pot of water over high on the stovetop. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook for 8-9 minutes.
- Reserve Pasta Water: Just before the pasta is done cooking, set aside 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta into a colander in the sink and then add that pasta to a large bow.
- Prep Pesto: Add 1/8-1/4 cup of pasta water to the pesto and mix well. Add the pesto to the bowl of pasta and mix well until all of the pasta is well coated with pesto.
- Serve: Serve and top with addtional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Storage
Fridge: This pasta will last in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freezer: It will freeze up to 2 months, although it's best to freeze homemade pesto and then just make the pasta fresh.
Substitutions
Pasta: Spaghetti is one of our favorites, but you can use any of your favorites. Just be sure to check the cook times on whatever type of pasta you're using. Go the extra mile and use Fresh Homemade Pasta!
Pesto: Our homemade pesto is our favorite, but you can of course use store-bought.
Pasta Water
Setting aside a bit of pasta water is key to ensuring that the pesto clings to the pasta. We only add 1/8 of a cup to the pesto, but you can add up to 1/4 for a looser pesto with the pasta. You can also add a little bit of added olive oil, too if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 1457mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 625IU | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg
