Pesto Sauce with Pasta

Quick food-processor pesto of fresh basil, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic and salt, tossed with pasta and served hot or cold.

VegetarianMediterraneanNo added sugar

Contains: milk, tree nuts, wheat. Based on the ingredients as written; check package labels, which can change.

From the recipe book of Sandra Mills, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained cook in our family.

Bowl of pasta tossed in basil pesto with pine nuts and shaved Parmesan
  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 12 min
  • Total 22 min

Updated

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Print recipe

Prefer it vegan? Try our Vegan Pesto Pasta.

Sandra Mills's pesto is made in a minute in the food processor: fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pine nuts and fresh Parmesan. A few basil leaves, pine nuts and some Parmesan are held back and pulsed in at the end for texture.

Toss it with hot pasta. It is just as good served cold as a pasta salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 box of pasta

Instructions

  1. Reserve. Reserve a few basil leaves, pine nuts and some Parmesan cheese.
  2. Blend. Combine the rest of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the reserved items and blend for just a second, for texture.
  3. Toss. Cook the pasta according to the box. Toss the sauce with the pasta and serve hot or cold.

VegetarianMediterraneanNo added sugar

Tips

  • Fresh garlic, 1 or 2 cloves, can replace the garlic powder.

Serve it with

Build the whole dinner: sides, sauce and dessert ›

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