Description
A vibrant and flavorful dish combining fresh basil pesto with tender pasta and sweet cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 250g pasta (rigatoni or penne)
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water.
- Blend basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt into a pesto.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes and set aside.
- Drain pasta and transfer to a bowl while still hot.
- Toss pasta with pesto, adding pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Gently stir in cherry tomatoes and top with extra Parmesan, pine nuts, and fresh basil. Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
Use the freshest ingredients for the best flavor. Customize the pesto with different nuts or nutritional yeast for a dairy-free version.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 10mg