Name: Pasta al Pesto Genovese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 180 g Pasta, trofie, fusilli, or spaghetti style; 1½ L Water, for boiling pasta; 1 tsp Salt, for pasta water and pesto seasoning; 1½ cup Sweet Basil, loosely packed; 2 tbsp Pine Nuts, lightly toasted; 1 clove Garlic; ⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil; ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated; 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano Cheese, finely grated; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

27 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 12 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: None

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Method

Bring the measured water to a boil. Add most of the measured salt and cook the pasta until al dente.
Reserve a small ladle of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Crush or blend the basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, remaining salt, and olive oil into a coarse green paste.
Mix in Parmesan Cheese, Pecorino Romano Cheese, and black pepper powder.
Toss the drained pasta with the pesto off the heat. Add a little reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Serve immediately while the pesto is fresh, bright, and aromatic.

How to tell it's done

The pesto should coat the pasta evenly, look bright green, and feel silky rather than oily.

Getting it right

Tip

Add pesto off the heat to preserve the fresh basil color and aroma.

What to serve it with

Serve as a quick lunch or dinner pasta with a light salad.

Common mistakes

The pesto turns dull or oily.: Blend or crush briefly, add cheese after the basil paste forms, and toss with pasta off the heat.

Substitutions

Do not cook pesto directly on heat; basil can darken and lose aroma.
Use Almonds only as a practical fallback if Pine Nuts are unavailable; the flavor will be less traditional.
Use extra pasta water sparingly so the pesto coats instead of becoming watery.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate pesto pasta for up to 2 days. Reheat gently or eat at room temperature; freeze pesto alone for up to 1 month, not the dressed pasta.

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Ingredients