Description
This delicious penne pasta dish features homemade pesto made from fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 recipe homemade pesto (or about 5–7 oz jarred pesto, to taste)
- ½ lb penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup freshly-grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare homemade pesto in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small, airtight container. Cover with a thin layer of olive oil. Refrigerate until needed.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water. Drain pasta and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Add reserved pasta water to pot as needed and toss to coat. Pour pesto on top and toss to coat.
- Transfer into serving plates. Garnish with basil leaves and pine nuts. Top with parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- For extra flavor, skip store-bought pesto and prepare your own.
- Adjust the amount of pasta water based on desired sauce consistency.
- Feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp for protein.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 15mg