I love pesto pasta! It’s a dish I’ve been making since I lived in a studio apartment in Hollywood just after college. It’s budget friendly, easy to make, and only requires two ingredients. You can also up your pesto pasta game by making homemade pesto. But store-bought pesto will not be shamed here! Traditional basil pesto is made of basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil. It tastes fresh, bright and a little grassy flavor from the olive oil.

This pesto pasta recipe is creamy and flavorful without needing to add any additional oil or fat (other than what is already in the pesto). I love this as a quick weeknight dinner, but you could also serve this as a side dish or simply add some protein to go with the pesto pasta.

Related: Next, learn to make fresh pasta at home. And how to make homemade gnocchi.

Pesto Sauce Ingredients

You can use any shape of pasta you prefer or have on hand. And if you want to get a little fancy on your presentation, you can add some fresh basil leaves, grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper, chopped walnuts or even some cherry tomatoes.

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions to al dente. Be sure to add salt to the water as you boil it. Different pasta shapes/types sometimes need different cook times.

Before you drain the pasta from the water, reserve some of the pasta water. Pasta water is what makes this super creamy!

Once drained, toss the pesto and pasta water into the cooked pasta. Serve hot. You may want to add a squeeze of lemon juice if you have one on hand—just options!

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. I actually love this pasta cold.

What does pasta water do?

Pasta water contains starch, so it’s a great ingredient to thicken sauces or other recipes. When you are making pasta dishes, it can often be a great idea to reserve some of the pasta water before draining it all away and use this in the base of many homemade sauces.

More Pasta Sauce Recipes

What to serve Pesto Pasta with

A protein, like shrimp, or a salad make great additions to this pasta for a more balanced meal.