Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 400 g spaghetti or linguine, dry
- 4000 ml water
- 40 g kosher salt
Pesto
- 60 g fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
- 50 g pine nuts
- 2 garlic, peeled
- 60 g vegetarian parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil, high quality
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 787 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbohydrates
- 78 g
- Fat
- 44 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 379 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 26 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 10 mg
- Potassium
- 369 mg
- Calcium
- 233 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 102 mg
- Phosphorus
- 378 mg
- Zinc
- 2.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 71 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 5.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 88 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.16 mg
- Niacin
- 2.4 mg
- Folate
- 34 mcg
- Water
- 30 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, tossing frequently, until fragrant and golden brown. Remove from the pan immediately to cool.
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the 40g of salt, then add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, add the cooled toasted pine nuts, garlic, grated cheese, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse until finely ground.
Add the fresh basil leaves to the food processor. While pulsing, drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream until a coarse paste forms. Do not over-process.
Before draining the pasta, reserve about 120ml of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta in a colander.
Transfer the hot drained pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add the pesto and a small splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously until the pasta is evenly coated and the sauce becomes creamy.
Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Garnish with an extra sprinkle of grated cheese, a few whole basil leaves, and a light drizzle of olive oil.
Chef's Notes
- For the absolute brightest green pesto, try blanching the basil leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds, then immediately plunging them into an ice bath before drying and blending.
- Emulsifying the pesto into the pasta using a splash of starchy pasta water is the secret to a creamy sauce rather than a greasy one. The starch binds the oil and water together.
- Ensure your basil leaves are completely dry before blending. Excess water will dilute the flavor and inhibit a proper emulsion with the oil.
- If you prefer a milder garlic flavor, blanch the peeled garlic cloves in boiling water for one minute before processing them.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store pesto separately from pasta if possible to prevent pasta from absorbing all the oil and becoming dry.
Freezer: 3 months — Pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays; cooked pasta should not be frozen.
Reheating: Toss with a splash of warm water or olive oil in a pan over low heat until just warmed through. Do not overheat or the basil will turn bitter.
Troubleshooting
Pesto turns brown or dark olive colored
Cause: Basil oxidized from excessive heat during blending or from being mixed into a piping hot pan
Fix: Cannot be fixed visually, but the flavor is generally unaffected.
Prevention: Pulse the food processor in short bursts to avoid heating the blades. Never add pesto directly to a pan over a flame.
Sauce is too oily and pooling at the bottom of the bowl
Cause: The olive oil and pesto base did not emulsify with the pasta correctly
Fix: Add another splash of reserved hot pasta water and toss aggressively for 30 seconds to bring the emulsion together.
Prevention: Ensure you vigorously toss the pasta with the pesto and starchy pasta water to create an emulsion.
Cultural Context
Pesto alla Genovese originates from Genoa, the capital city of Liguria in Northern Italy. The name derives from the Genoese word pestâ, meaning to pound or crush, reflecting the traditional preparation method of grinding the ingredients in a heavy marble mortar with a wooden pestle. This technique crushes rather than cuts the basil, releasing highly aromatic essential oils.
