This authentic pasta al pesto recipe is bursting with flavor! Using simple ingredients and a homemade pesto, it's the ultimate comfort food. It's easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes!
My family is from Genoa, Italy, home of the famous Ligurian focaccia and incredible pesto. My favorite food of all time is this pasta with pesto, served Genovese style with potatoes. The light, bright pesto paired with the pasta and potatoes is comfort food at it's best!
There is nothing that compares to homemade pesto. It's a great example of how simple ingredients can make the most flavorful sauce. The secret to the best pesto is using quality ingredients with extra virgin olive oil. Making your own pesto is not only easy, but it's also a great way to avoid ultra-processed ingredients that may be found in store bought versions. This can include preservatives and seed oils.
If you love Italian food, you're in the right place! I recommend checking out my Ligurian focaccia which pairs so well with this pasta. Both recipes are from the Liguria region of Italy and the tomatoes in the focaccia are the perfect complement to the fresh, bright pesto. This burrata caprese salad is another great option that brings out the basil flavors in the pasta. For a delicious Italian dessert, check out my Italian almond cake, espresso ice cream, and walnut biscotti. My favorite is to dip the biscotti in the ice cream for a fun twist on the classic biscotti and coffee pairing. And to make it extra special, you can top it off with this whipped cream dispenser recipe!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Basil: this recipe uses fresh basil leaves. For the best flavor, the basil should be bright green and not wilted. If using store bought basil, I recommend purchasing it as close as possible to when you plan on making the recipe so it will be fresh. In addition to being delicious, fresh basil is also full of antioxidants that may help to prevent certain chronic illnesses.
- Extra virgin olive oil: this is the base of the pesto, making it ideal to use a high quality oil. Extra virgin olive oil gives the pesto the best, most authentic flavor. It's less processed than regular olive oil and an excellent source of heart healthy fats.
- Parmesan: I prefer to use "Parmigiano-Reggiano" when available. It comes from designated regions of Italy and is aged at least one year, giving the cheese a nutty, complex taste. I find that grating my own cheese gives the pesto the best flavor. This also helps to avoid additives and preservatives that may be found in packaged, pre-shredded cheeses.
- Pecorino romano: the addition of pecorino adds an amazing depth to the pesto. The salty, tanginess enhances the parmesan and basil flavors. Like with the parmesan, grating your own pecorino will give the pesto the best flavor.
- Linguine: pesto is best served with longer cuts of pasta. Linguine is ideal because of the long cut and wider width that holds onto the sauce. When choosing dried pasta, I prefer those with simple ingredients, often just durum wheat semolina.
- Russet potatoes: pasta and potatoes? Yes, you read that right! The traditional, Genovese version of pasta with pesto includes potatoes. It truly makes this dish the ultimate comfort food. I love using russet potatoes because they are light and fluffy, which perfectly complements the al dente pasta.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use a different nut: the pine nuts can be substituted with a nut of your choice. Delicious options include walnuts or cashews.
- Dairy-free pesto: omit the cheeses for a dairy-free pesto. Some members of my family prefer this dairy-free version! It's even a hit for a cheese lover like myself. Omitting the cheeses reduces the salt and volume of the pesto, so you may need to use more salt and less olive oil than the recipe calls for.
- Add green beans: it's common for Genovese pasta with pesto to include green beans. They add brightness and texture. It's a fun way to add a veggie and they can be boiled in the same pot as the potatoes and pasta.
- Switch up the pasta shape: the linguine can be substituted with other long cuts of pasta, including spaghetti or fettuccini. It also goes great with fusilli, as the corkscrew shape holds onto the pesto. Bonus points if you can find trenette or trofie, the traditional Ligurian pasta shapes that go well with pesto!
- Use a different potato or omit them: you can substitute the russets for a potato of your choice. New potatoes or Yukon golds are great options. You can also omit the potatoes if you prefer.
Instructions
Step 1: Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into even-sized pieces about 1 to 2 inches wide. Then place the potatoes in a large pot with water. Add salt and stir. Bring the water to a boil and boil the potatoes for 5 minutes.
Step 2: While the potatoes are boiling, put the basil, pine nuts, garlic, pecorino romano, and parmesan in a food processor or blender. Pulse the ingredients until they are finely chopped. While still pulsing, slowly pour in the olive oil. Pulse until the pesto is combined but slightly chunky. Then transfer the pesto to a large bowl and season it with salt to taste.
Step 3: After the potatoes have boiled for 5 minutes, add the pasta to the same pot. Boil together until the pasta is al dente (about 8 to 10 minutes). Just before draining the pasta and potatoes, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and add it to the bowl with the pesto, mixing to combine.
Step 4: Add the drained pasta and potatoes to a large bowl with the pesto. Toss together until evenly coated. Serve immediately while warm. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Food processor or blender: Although both will work, I prefer a food processor since you can pulse the ingredients and have better control over the pesto's texture.
- Food scale or measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Tongs
Storage
Cooked pasta al pesto can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can make the pesto ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 1 month. I like to pour the pesto into an ice cube tray (with a lid) for convenient storage in the freezer. Thaw the pesto in the refrigerator overnight before using. Pesto that has been frozen will be a darker green color, but will still be delicious!
See the USDA Leftovers and Food Safety guide for more information.
Expert tips
- Grate your own cheese for the best flavor. This also helps to avoid unwanted additives and preservatives that may be found in packaged, pre-shredded cheeses.
- Just before draining the pasta and potatoes, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and add it to the pesto. The starches and salt in the pasta water add an amazing depth of flavor to the pesto, while also making it the perfect consistency to evenly sauce the pasta.
- Pulse the pesto ingredients in the food processor instead of blending continuously. This gives you a better control over the texture and prevents over-processing the ingredients. This also prevents the ingredients from overheating, which could affect the color and flavor of the pesto.
FAQ
Pesto is traditionally eaten with pasta, ideally longer cuts like linguine, trenette, or trofie. Since pesto is an uncooked sauce, these longer cuts of pasta hold onto the pesto without overwhelming the flavor. In traditional Genovese versions, it is common for pasta with pesto dishes to also contain potatoes and green beans.
Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy, and is traditionally made from fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and a hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino romano.
Related
Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this pasta:
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and tag @little.nonni on Instagram!
Recipe
Pasta al Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 pound russet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes)*
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup pine nuts *
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup pecorino romano (finely grated)*
- ¾ cup parmesan (finely grated)*
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound linguine (dried)*
Instructions
- Prepare and boil the potatoes: Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into even-sized pieces about 1 to 2 inches wide. Then place the potatoes in a large pot with water. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and stir. Bring the water to a boil and boil the potatoes for 5 minutes.
- Make the pesto: While the potatoes are boiling, put the basil, pine nuts, garlic, pecorino romano, and parmesan in a food processor or blender. Pulse the ingredients until they are finely chopped. While still pulsing, slowly pour in the olive oil. Pulse until the pesto is combined but slightly chunky. Then transfer the pesto to a large bowl and season it with salt to taste. I add about ½ teaspoon of salt in this step. Keep in mind you will later add pasta water to the pesto, which will increase the saltiness.
- Boil the pasta with the potatoes: After the potatoes have boiled for 5 minutes, add the pasta to the same pot. Boil together until the pasta is al dente (about 8 to 10 minutes). Just before draining the pasta and potatoes, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and add it to the bowl with the pesto, mixing to combine.
- Toss the pasta and potatoes in the pesto: Add the drained pasta and potatoes to the large bowl with the pesto. Toss together with tongs until evenly coated. Serve immediately while warm. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Russet potatoes: you can substitute these with the same amount of another potato of your choice. New potatoes or Yukon golds are great options. You can also omit the potatoes altogether.
- Pine nuts: these can be substituted with the same amount of another nut. Walnuts or cashews are delicious options.
- Pecorino and parmesan: for the best flavor, I recommend grating your own cheeses. When available, I prefer the parmesan to be "Parmigiano-Reggiano." It is from a designated region of Italy and aged at least one year, giving it a complex and nutty taste that goes great in pesto.
- Linguine: you can substitute this for a different pasta shape. Long pasta cuts like spaghetti, fettuccini, trenette, or trofie go great with pesto. Fusilli is a delicious option because the corkscrew shape holds onto the pesto. If using fresh pasta, it will need to cook less time. Keep in mind that the potatoes need to boil about 10-15 minutes total, and should be done at the same time as the pasta.
- Dairy-free version: omit the cheese for a dairy-free pesto. When doing so, you may need to add more salt to taste. When making the pesto, reduce the amount of olive oil to ¼ cup, adding more if needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Add green beans: it's common for Genovese pasta with pesto to include green beans. It's a fun way to add veggies and texture into the dish. Cut ¼ pound (110 grams) of green beans into 1 inch pieces and boil them at the same time as you add the pasta.
- Equipment: food processor or blender; food scale or measuring cups; measuring spoons; tongs
- Storage: Cooked pasta al pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pesto can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. I love to freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray with a lid. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition and storage information is estimated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
See our Disclaimer for more information.
rd
As a pasta lover, it takes something special to get me raving - and this pesto recipe is IT! I’ve eaten a LOT of pesto in my time, and this is my favorite recipe EVER. The flavor is rich and satisfying without any bitterness. The basil flavor comes through big time. The potatoes are the real secret star here, tender and delicious. If you want to impress with a gourmet pasta recipe, look no further!
Maria D'Errico
So happy you love the recipe!
Anne
Pasta with pesto is a favorite of mine. This recipe is easy to make and with the fresh basil is a true star. The potatoes mixed with the pasta make it extra special. I paired it with your homemade focaccia and my meal was complete.
Maria D'Errico
Thank you, so happy you love the recipe. The fresh basil is a winner!