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Pasta With Pesto

Photo: Christopher Testani for The New York Times.

BY The Editors

PUBLISHED April 17, 2024

I have made pesto without nuts and without cheese and even without garlic, but the classic contains all three, and why not?

I make two modifications from the true classic: 1. I use a food processor, not a mortar and pestle (I’m not masochistic, generally); and 2. I find myself increasingly using walnuts. I love pine nuts, or I have loved them, but they are twice as expensive as they once were (and they were never cheap).

 

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Pasta With Pesto

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Makes 4 to 6 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
  • Big bunch basil, about 10 stems
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste
  • Olive oil as needed
  • Salt and pepper
  • Grated Parmesan to taste
  • 1 pound pasta, any shape

Instructions

  1. Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until fragrant, browned and not burned. Pulse them in a food processor until chopped but not at all powdery.
  2. Wash the basil; dry it in a salad spinner. Put it in the food processor with the garlic and as much oil as you need to allow the machine to do its work. Process, adding salt, pepper and oil as needed. When the pesto is smooth and delicious, stir in or pulse in the cheese.
  3. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it’s tender but not mushy. Dress with the pesto, thinning with a little of the cooking water if necessary. Serve immediately.

— Recipe from The New York Times

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