Simple meals that can be quickly put together are ideal for busy weeknights, and there's nothing easier than a basic homemade recipe for basil pesto pasta that even a child can prepare and clean up after.
When my garden is overflowing with basil in the summer, I get busy canning my favorite homemade pesto recipe (which I love to freeze for handy, quick meals on the go). I adore using it in a range of recipes, such as my arugula salad with pesto shrimp, Parmesan, and white beans, and my pesto chicken and pasta salad. I love to keep this incredibly easy recipe for pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes in my back pocket.
What’s in This Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Three fundamental components are included on the recipe card found on fresh cranberry bags: sugar, cranberries, and water or another liquid, such as orange juice. The only difference between this recipe and the original is the addition of dried cranberries, which plump and soften while simmering in the jammy sauce, giving it more texture and sweetness. Although I don't add any spices to my cranberry sauce, it would taste great with a cinnamon stick, fresh sage, or rosemary.
What’s in This Pesto Pasta?
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this pesto pasta (and if you already have your pesto made, you only need pasta and tomatoes to make it!).
Here’s what you’ll need:
. Bucatini (spaghetti, linguine, or any other long noodle works great)
. Garlic
. Pine nuts
. Basil
. Olive oil (a quality, fruity extra-virgin olive oil is best here)
. Parmesan
. Lemon
. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
. Cherry tomatoes
How to Make This Pesto Pasta?
Prepare the spaghetti : Cook the pasta, or any other type of pasta, in a big pot of boiling salted water until al dente, following the directions on the package. Save one cup of the cooking water after draining the pasta.
Construct the pesto: Place the finely shredded parmesan cheese, roasted pine nuts, and roughly minced garlic in a food processor; pulse until smooth. Next, include the basil. After a few pulses to chop it up, let the processor run while you sprinkle in the olive oil and process until an emulsified consistency is achieved. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning, squeeze in some lemon juice, and process once more until well blended. Check for seasoning and make any adjustments.
Season and toss : In a big bowl, combine the hot pasta and pesto. Slowly add the pasta water you set aside, ¼ cup at a time, until the mixture becomes saucy. Add the cherry tomatoes on top, and if you'd like, add extra salt and pepper and parmesan cheese as decoration. Add a small bit of spice by using red pepper flakes!
Tips for Making Pesto at Home
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the chilled butter pieces and use a pastry cutter or your hands to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the boiling water and stir until a sticky dough forms.
How to Jazz up Cranberry Sauce
. Take a look at my DIY pesto recipe page here, or here are some of the highlights:
. Remove all remaining garlic. If you make it into a vampire fest, you'll completely destroy the herbaceous flavor and the sauce will turn to tin. I really did accomplish it.
. When chopping the herbs, make sure to pulse your food processor or blender. This will prevent it from becoming a murky, bottom-of-the-pond green.
. For the mildest flavor, use an olive oil that is fruity and fresh.
. • Fresh, leafy herbs always stand out the most since the flavors are so straightforward; use the best you can afford.
What to Use in Pesto Besides Basil
I used the bunches of garden basil from my garden before the freeze sets in, but if basil isn’t in season, pesto can always be made with any of these greens:
. Parsley
. Arugula
. Spinach
. Mint
. Kale
. Broccoli
. Beet Greens
What to Use in Pesto Besides Pine Nuts
Although pine nuts are my preferred nut for pesto, their cost makes them considerably more costly than other nut species.
Instead than using pine nuts in pesto, try these other types of nuts:
. Walnuts
. Almonds (I like Marcona almonds)
. Cashews
. Pepitas
. Pistachios
. Sunflower seeds
. Hemp seeds (safe for nut allergies)
No matter what kind of nut you use, just be sure to toast them. Toasting maximizes the flavor of the nut and adds a great depth of flavor to the pesto.