Pesto Pasta

By Mark Bittman

Updated March 3, 2025

Pesto Pasta
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(714)
Comments
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Toasted walnuts (or pine nuts), a fistful of fresh basil, Parmesan, garlic and olive oil is all you need for a simple and practically perfect pesto that tastes like the best of summer.

Featured in: Countdown to a Summer Feast

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings.
  • ½cup walnuts or pine nuts
  • Big bunch basil, about 10 stems
  • 2cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste
  • Olive oil as needed
  • Salt and pepper
  • Grated Parmesan to taste
  • 1pound pasta, any shape
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 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. Step 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. Step 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.

Ratings

4 out of 5
714 user ratings
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Comments

Eddie Lew

Kudos, Mark for toasting the pine nuts. Not every recipe says to do it, but IMO, it's adds a world of flavor. Walnuts? Too emphatic a taste for me. I also think bow-ties or rotelle are the best because they hold the pesto better than long spaghetti. By the way, I add chicken breast to it - sometimes; however, a simple pesto dish is one of the great pleasures of life. Whoever combined basil, (toasted!) pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan is a culinary saint.

Diane B.

I don't dry my basil, I think the little bit of water helps keep the mix loose. And I don't use the pasta water; it's too hot and makes the basil drab colored.

chef Pace, milano

Pesto is from the Italian verb pestare (to pound or crush) pesto can be made from almost any vegetable, this recipe is pesto alla genovese because it has basil another favorite of mine is pesto alla rucola, rucola(arugula) is substituted for basil. to a purist pesto should be pounded with a wood pestle and marble mortar and the nuts pinoli a classic version of pesto alla genovese is Mr Bittman's with the addition of small steamed green beans and boiled potatoes and the pasta is trenette.

kccook

If you blanch the basil for just a minute it will retain its bright green color. I always toast the pine nuts and the garlic because I don't like raw garlic in anything. Pine nuts are expensive, but Florence Fabricant's recipe here at the NYT https://approvedpromo.info/recipes/2653-basic-pesto%3C/a%3E only uses two tablespoons and is wonderful. I keep my pine nuts in the freezer and they last a long time.

Christopher Collette

A tip I learned from the late Michael Chiarello on how to keep your pesto from turning a muddy, army green color: add a 1/2 t of powdered or ground ascorbic acid -- a non-flavored vitamin C tablet -- to the mix. Your pesto will remain that vibrant and verdant green color.

Vincent Carbone

This recipe has all the ingredients but the quantities of each leave too much guessing to get the right taste. I use this recipe based on the Soprano’s cookbook (don’t laugh it has great NY Italian recipes): 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup packed basil, 1/3 cup of Pecorino Romano, 2-3 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts, 12-16oz Molisana whole wheat pasta. I reserve some starchy pasta water and mix it with pesto for a more creamy texture. The whole wheat pasta gives a nice nutty taste.

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