Pasta Al Pesto is a true Italian classic that is easy to make with the combination of aromatic pesto sauce without pine nuts and al dente spaghetti. A truly irresistible family-friendly dinner that will have your taste buds dancing with joy!
Pasta al pesto is not just a dish, it's a work of art. And trust me, you don't have to be Michelangelo to create a masterpiece for your main meal.
Making pesto pasta at home is not just easy, it's a breeze. You don't even have to be a master chef, just a master of not screwing up simple ingredients.
Fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and good extra virgin olive oil are the foundations of a good aromatic and flavorful pesto sauce.
As this is a nut free recipe, I used my Quick Pesto without Pine Nuts which is super simple to make in a food processor or blender!
Table of Contents
🍝 Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Can be made with homemade pesto sauce or store-bought.
- A traditional and beloved Italian dish.
- Can be made as a quick weeknight dinner.
- Comforting and satisfying meal.
- The perfect comfort food to enjoy with a glass of wine.
- A great way to save money by enjoying a restaurant-worthy dish at home.
Pasta al pesto is sure to please, whether you're looking for a quick weeknight dinner, a casual family meal or you want to impress your friends.
With a glass of wine and your homemade pesto pasta, pretend you're in a fancy Italian restaurant.
Except you're not; instead, you're in your own kitchen, saving money and impressing yourself with your culinary skills!
I've added red onion to the mix to make this pasta even more delicious. It adds so much flavor and depth to this simple pesto pasta, and it's my secret ingredient!
🥗 Serving Suggestions
Pasta al pesto is a versatile dish that can be served on its own or with a variety of proteins, vegetables, and toppings to make it even more satisfying and well-rounded. Below are just a few ideas to get your taste buds tingling:
- Serve it with slices of crunchy toasted bread.
- Pair it with a quick homemade garlic and herb flat bread.
- Fry up a mixture of chopped vegetables such as zucchini and bell peppers then stir it through the finished pesto pasta.
- Top with sliced cherry tomatoes.
- Top with fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese.
- Sprinkle with nutritional yeast.
- Serve with a side of air fryer roasted canned potatoes or these super quick air fryer frozen sweet potato fries.
- Add cooked proteins such as roasted or grilled chicken breast, shrimp, salmon, sausage, beef or tinned tuna.
- For a vegetarian or vegan option, tempeh or tofu can be sautéed or grilled and added to the pasta al pesto for a source of protein.
📋 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Pesto - use my quick pesto without pine nuts recipe for a delicious and flavorful homemade version. Substitute with a jar of store-bought pesto.
- Red onion - Add so much flavor to this pasta. Substitute with brown onion if preferred.
- Spaghetti - you can use either regular or gluten-free spaghetti. Can be substituted with fettuccine or linguine.
- Parmesan cheese - freshly shaved parmesan cheese works best. You can purchase this in packets, not frozen. The parmesan in a shaker will not work.
🔪 Step By Step Instructions (with photos)
There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step one: Make the pesto sauce and it set aside.
Step two: Half-fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Once boiling, add the spaghetti and cook it to the packet instructions or to al dente, 7-9 minutes.
Step three: While the spaghetti is cooking, pour the oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes while the spaghetti boils.
Step four: Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water then drain off the spaghetti in a colander.
Step five: Reduce the heat of the skillet to low. Add the cooked spaghetti and the pesto.
Step six: Gently stir to combine using silicone or metal tongs to avoid the spaghetti breaking up and turning mushy.
Step seven: Continue to heat in the skillet until warmed through then turn off the heat. Serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese, fresh basil and toasted bread. Enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips
- Sauté the onion well: Thoroughly cooked red onion, almost caramelized (but not) adds so much flavor!
- Don't overcook the pasta: To get the right texture and avoid mushy pasta, cook the pasta al dente (firm to the bite).
- Add a little pasta water to the sauce: If your pasta is getting too dry, pour in small amounts of the pasta water or warm tap water to loosen up the pasta.
- Use tongs, such silicone or metal: To stir and combine the spaghetti and pesto in the skillet instead of a slotted turner which can mush the pasta.
- Combine the pasta and pesto in batches: Add half of the cooked spaghetti to the sautéed onion in the skillet then half of the pesto. Stir then repeat. This avoids your spaghetti from breaking up too much and getting mushy.
⏲️ Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated, for 3-4 days.
Re-heat leftovers in a skillet with some warm water over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until it's heated through. Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 356ºF (180ºC) for 15-20 minutes until warmed.
Alternatively, reheat leftovers in the microwave with some extra water until heated through.
To store, freeze and thaw the homemade pesto, please refer to my recipe for the quick pesto without pine nuts.
💬 Recipe FAQ's
Yes, for a more convenient way to make this quick pasta al pesto, use a jar of pesto that is close to 1 ½ cups, which is 13 ounces or 370 grams. Be sure to use one that is nut free or if you don't mind, use a traditional pesto with nuts.
Yes! If you're using my homemade pesto without pine nuts recipe, simply add up to ¼ cup of pine nuts into the food processor and blend!
Yes, you can use different types of pasta such as linguine, fusilli, or penne.
Absolutely! Simply use a vegan substitute for the shaved parmesan cheese in the pesto recipe. Then use the same cheese to sprinkle on top when serving.
Of course, you can! Just use gluten-free spaghetti or the gluten-free version of pasta you choose to use. I do this quite often!
Yes! Make and store the pesto in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze it in an airtight container or zip-lock freezer bag, pressing out any excess air, and tightly sealing. Alternatively, freeze pesto in ice cube trays and thaw when you're ready to make this pasta.
If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it's much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x
📖 Recipe
Pasta Al Pesto (without nuts)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (370g) pesto sauce, homemade pesto without pine nuts
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 17 oz (500g) spaghetti, regular or gluten-free
- Shaved parmesan cheese, to serve
Instructions
- Make pesto and set aside.
- Half-fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil on the stovetop.
- Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook to packet instructions or to al dente 7-9 minutes.
- While spaghetti is cooking, pour oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes while the spaghetti boils.
- Reserve ½ cup of pasta water then drain off the spaghetti in a colander.
- Reduce heat of the skillet to low.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and the pesto. Gently stir to combine using silicone or metal tongs to avoid the spaghetti breaking up and turning mushy.
- Continue to heat in the skillet until warmed through then turn off heat.
- Serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese, fresh basil and toasted bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Sauté the onion well: Thoroughly cooked red onion, almost caramelized (but not) adds so much flavor!
- Don't overcook the pasta: To get the right texture and avoid mushy pasta, cook the pasta al dente (firm to the bite).
- Add a little pasta water to the sauce: If your pasta is getting too dry, pour in small amounts of the pasta water or warm tap water to loosen up the pasta.
- Use tongs, such silicone or metal: To stir and combine the spaghetti and pesto in the skillet instead of a slotted turner which can mush the pasta.
- Combine the pasta and pesto in batches: Add half of the cooked spaghetti to the sautéed onion in the skillet then half of the pesto. Stir then repeat. This avoids your spaghetti from breaking up too much and getting mushy.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated, for 3-4 days.
- Re-heat leftovers in a skillet with some warm water over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until it's heated through. Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 356ºF (180ºC) for 15-20 minutes until warmed. Alternatively, reheat leftovers in the microwave with some extra water until heated through.
- To store, freeze and thaw the homemade pesto, please refer to my recipe for the quick pesto without pine nuts.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!