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Pesto for Pasta

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This pesto for pasta recipe combines fresh basil, pecorino, pine nuts, pistachios, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon for a brightly flavorful sauce. It tastes garlicky, herby, and nutty.

Store-bought pesto can be great, but fresh pesto is something truly special. The best part is, it's easy to make a batch if you have the right ingredients.

Why You’ll Love this Pesto for Pasta Recipe

This pesto for pasta is perfect served with spaghetti, fusilli, or whatever your favorite noodle is. It can be served with both hot and cold pasta dishes. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled if you want to make more and save some for later.

Pesto can also be used on salads, on shrimp, with potatoes, or spread on flatbread pizzas.


Ingredients for Homemade Pesto

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:

  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano 
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon pistachios
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • squeeze of fresh lemon juice

How to Make Pesto for Pasta

  1. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pine nuts and pistachios. Gently toast them for one to two minutes. Remove from heat. 
  2. Combine the basil, olive oil, cheese, nuts, garlic cloves, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse to combine then blend till it’s pureed. 
  3. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to 6 months. 


How to Use Pesto

One of our favorite ways to use pesto is in pasta. Here are a few pasta recipes with pesto that we think you'll enjoy!


Tips for Making this Pesto Recipe

  • You can easily save pesto in the freezer. Portion it out into ice cube containers or store it in freezer-safe bags. Just pop it into a pan to defrost it when you want to use it and use it as a base for a sauce or pasta dish.
  • If you have some garden space or a place for a plant pot, we highly recommend growing your own basil. It's easy to grow and you can make homemade pesto all summer long!

We hope you enjoy this homemade pesto recipe.


Yield: ½ cup

Pesto for Pasta

Pesto for Pasta

This pesto is a bright and delicious sauce with basil, pine nuts, pistachios, Pecorino, and olive oil.

Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Additional Time 2 minutes
Total Time 9 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon pistachios
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pine nuts and pistachios. Gently toast them for one to two minutes. Remove from heat. 
  2. Combine the basil, olive oil, cheese, nuts, garlic cloves, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse to combine then blend till it’s pureed. 
  3. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to 6 months. 

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