Penne with Pesto

This scrumptious penne with pesto comes together in about 15 minutes, uses just a few fresh ingredients, and makes a super delicious family meal.

Quantities yield 4 small servings.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: penne with pesto

Servings:

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Katia

Ingredients

Homemade basil Pesto (or store-bought pesto)

½ cup Basil pesto

Pasta

8 oz (220 grams) penne or similar pasta shapes (rigatoni, fusilli...)
3 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

Basil pesto

To make homemade pesto, follow this recipe and place all the ingredients in a small food processor and whiz until you reach a pesto-like consistency- not too smooth, not too coarse. Taste, adjust the seasoning according to your taste, and set aside. Alternatively, use ½ cup of good-quality, ready-made pesto.

Pasta

Bring a pot of water with salt to a boil, and cook the penne until just al dente or according to the package directions.
Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water just before draining the pasta, then drain the pasta, remove the pot from the stove, and rinse it with cold water. Return the pasta to the same pot (or in a bowl), stir in the pesto and about ¼ cup of pasta water, and toss well until combined and juicy. Note: Toss the pasta away from the heat to prevent the pesto from turning darker.
Before serving, check the seasoning and add a bit more pasta water if needed. Divide into bowls and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition facts: The nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator. They are estimates only and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.

Nutrition