JUICY Pesto Pasta!
Recipe video above. This is how to make a great pesto pasta that's slick with pesto sauce without adding tons and tons of oil which makes it overly oily. The secret is using the pasta cooking water - it emulsifies with the oil in the pesto which makes it cling to every strand of pasta. A technique used in every Italian household! Make this with homemade pesto for the best flavour.
- Prep time
- 14 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 3 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 quantity homemade pesto ((Note 1))
- 300 - 350 g / 10 - 12 oz pasta of choice ((ziti, penne and spaghetti are my favourites, Note 2))
- 2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup pasta cooking water
- Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the salt.
- 2
Add pasta and cook for the length of time per the packet.
- 3
Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of of the pasta cooking water.
- 4
Drain pasta in a colander, leave it for a minute.
- 5
Transfer pasta to a bowl (do not use pasta cooking pot, too hot).
- 6
Add pesto and 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss to coat pasta in pesto, adding more water if required to make pasta silky and saucy, rather than dry and sticky.
- 7
Taste, add more salt and pepper if desired.
- 8
Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parmesan.