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Bowl of pesto pasta
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5 from 6 votes

Easy Pesto Pasta

Easy pesto pasta for busy weeknights. Make the homemade pesto in your food processor and store it in the fridge, then you're only minutes away from a delicious bowl of pasta. Bacon sprinkles optional (but yummy).
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 853kcal
Author Beth Sachs

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scales
  • Food Processor
  • Chopping Board
  • Knife
  • Cheese Grater

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 2 Garlic cloves chopped
  • 80 g Basil
  • 70 g Parmesan
  • 70 g Almonds
  • ½ Lemon juice of
  • 150 ml Extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 Streaky bacon rashers (otional)
  • 350 g Pasta

Instructions

  • Put the garlic, basil, Parmesan, almonds and lemon juice into a food processor bowl and whiz until smooth.
  • Slowly add the olive oil down the funnel and pulse into the pesto. Spoon into a bowl and season with salt if needed.
  • Grill the bacon rashers (if using) until crisp and chop them up into small bits.
  • Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook your chosen pasta according to instructions.
  • Drain the pasta, then spoon through enough pesto to coat the pasta (you'll have some leftover, which you can store in the fridge in a clean jar).
  • Spoon into bowls and sprinkle over the crispy bacon bits. Serve with extra Parmesan if you like things cheesy.

Notes

Variations: 
  • Replace the basil with rocket or parsley, or use a mixture of basil, rocket and parsley. Another frugal option is using kale instead of basil.
  • Swap the nuts around depending what you have in.
  • Use cheaper grana padano cheese rather than parmesan if you're on a budget.
  • To make the pesto pasta more creamy and decadent, stir in a couple of heaped tablespoons of creme fraiche. That's proper comfort food!
  • Add cooked chicken pieces, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped roasted red peppers or olives to the pesto pasta.
 
Nutrition: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Pesto Pasta
Amount per Serving
Calories
853
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
55
g
85
%
Saturated Fat
 
10
g
63
%
Cholesterol
 
85
mg
28
%
Sodium
 
327
mg
14
%
Potassium
 
431
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
 
69
g
23
%
Fiber
 
6
g
25
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
24
g
48
%
Vitamin A
 
1246
IU
25
%
Vitamin C
 
11
mg
13
%
Calcium
 
323
mg
32
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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