This pesto pasta is made with salty parmesan, homemade pesto, and delicious sautéd vegetables making for such a flavorful and easy pesto pasta dish you can enjoy any night of the week.
Now that you know how to make homemade pesto we thought we’d teach you how to make this super flavorful pesto pasta recipe. There is nothing better than a delicious bowl of pesto pasta tossed with tasty sautéd vegetables ?
- Fresh basil: traditional pesto is made with fresh basil and we stuck to tradition for this pesto! Get the freshest basil you can find! No, you can not used dried basil.
- Parmesan: do not skip the parmesan in this pesto! It adds the salty and nuttiness that makes the pesto so delicious.
- Fresh lemon juice: brighten up your vegan pesto with fresh lemon juice.
- Garlic cloves: you can’t have any pesto (vegan or not) without garlic.
- Pine nuts: to thicken up your pesto we recommend sticking to the traditional pine nut. It adds the best nutty flavor to every pesto.
- Olive oil: you can use olive oil to thin out your pesto and add amazing flavor!
- Pappardelle pasta: we chose a simple pappardelle pasta for this dish!
- Bella mushrooms + cherry tomatoes: these delicious pesto does most the flavor work in this pasta dish, but the mushrooms and tomatoes add earthiness and a good serving of vegetables.
- Salt: we suggest waiting to add salt to this pasta until the end because the pesto and parmesan are both salty and delicious.
Cuisinart 8-Cup Food Processor
Duralex Glass Nesting Bowls
Crate and Barrel Measuring Cups
Le Creuset Measuring Spoons
Calphalon 12″ Cast Iron
Top Tips for Pesto Pasta
- rigatoni
- penne
- orecchiette
- fusilli
The sky is the limit when it comes to adding other ingredients to this pasta. You can mix up the vegetables, add some spice, or anything else you’re craving. Here are some ideas:
- white onion
- bell pepper
- shallot
- fresh mint
- fresh arugula
- red pepper flakes
try it!
Easy Homemade Pesto
It’s bursting with freshness and a perfect way to use up your garden basil. This pesto recipe is excellent for bread dipping and is so delicious used in this pasta.
get recipe
Store your pesto pasta in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat the pasta over low heat, adding a bit of olive oil if needed to thin out the pesto sauce.
More of our Favorite…
Fresh Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Vegan Pasta
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Garden Summer Pasta
- BLT Pasta
Serving Suggestions
Serve this pasta with one of our delicious salad recipes:
- Spring Mix Salad: This spring mix salad is made with a combination of fruit, vegetables, cheese, and sesame roasted cashews. It is topped with a simple dressing and you can serve it with your favorite lunch or dinner recipes.
- Butter Lettuce Salad: This butter lettuce salad has a combination of vegetables, fruit, nuts, cheese, and is drizzled with a simple lemon vinaigrette. Everything on a bed of tender butter lettuce makes a perfect and delicious salad.
- The Best Arugula Salad: This is a simple and delicious arugula salad recipe. It is made with arugula, dried fruit, veggies, and fruit. It is the perfect side dish to any meal!
Homemade Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan or this vegan parmesan
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 medium clove garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
Pesto Pasta
- 8 oz. pappardelle pasta
- 8 oz. Bella mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt separated
- 10 oz. cherry tomatoes halved
- 2/3 cup pesto or vegan pesto
- 2 tablespoons pasta water
- grated parmesan for topping
- First, follow the directions in our homemade pesto post to make the pesto. Note that this recipe calls for 2x the pesto in that post so that it yields around 2/3 cup. Set aside.
- Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta to the pot. Stir periodically so the pasta does not stick together.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet pan over medium/high heat. Add olive oil.
- When olive is fragrant add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet and sprinkle them with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss the tomatoes in the olive oil and let them cook for 2-4 minutes or until excess tomato water has evaporated.
- Add mushrooms to the skillet and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until brown.
- Set aside ¼ cup of pasta water before straining the water from the pasta when the pasta is cooked to al dente. Set pasta aside.
- Next, add the pesto and 2 tablespoons of the pasta water to the skillet with the tomatoes and stir until all the ingredients are combined.
- Heat the pesto until it is just before boiling. If you would like a saucier pasta, add an additional 2 tablespoons of pasta water to the pan.
- Add pasta to the skillet and toss the pasta with the pesto and tomatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Serve with grated parmesan cheese and enjoy.
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
Original Article
