Pesto Twist Pasta is a bright and easy pasta recipe that’s unbelievably easy to make for a weeknight dinner.
This pesto pasta is one of my favourite go-to easy dinner recipes in the spring and summer. With the weather warming up, it’s nice to enjoy dinner with bright, fresh ingredients of homemade pesto.
Plus, if you need to use up some extra basil or just want to try a twist on a classic side, this pesto pasta will please everyone.
INGREDIENTS
- Spiral pasta (455g)
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
METHOD
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it’s al dente. Reserve 1 cup (235ml) of the pasta water before draining.
- Add basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper to a food processor or blender and pulse to start to break up the ingredients.
- Add water and a splash of the olive oil to get things started.
- Slowly drizzle the remaining olive oil until emulsified in the sauce.
- Pour the pesto into a bowl, then stir in the parmesan. (The heat of the food processor will start to melt the cheese, so adding it afterwards retains a nice texture)
- Drain the pasta and transfer to large bowl or pan.
- Add pesto and a splash of pasta water, stirring to incorporate.
- Add parmesan and another splash of pasta water.
- Top off with more cheese and basil before serving.
- Enjoy in your coconut bowl or coconut plate.
You can also serve this as a cold pasta. Make ahead and refrigerate until it is cold. You can even make it a day ahead! Stir well and serve!