This simple pesto pasta is so delicious and so easy to make! It’s bold pesto flavour combined with sweet tomatoes and zesty lemon adds a freshness to this 20 minute meal!
When you take a few ingredients and create on the most simple pasta recipes with bold and fresh flavours, you have a winner of a recipe! This pasta dish is so easy to make and under 20 minutes you have a satisfying dish! This make a perfect weekday meal or a light with the ladies on a warm summer day. Either way, it is a recipe you will want to make often.
The possiblities of this recipe is endless to adding vegetables, meats, fish or beans. I decided to keep it simple with the cherry tomatoes and lemon juice with Parmesan cheese. When really adds the rich flavour to this dish is the pesto. I used my homemade pesto and added a handful of spinach but it isn’t necessary.
WHAT MAKES THIS DISH SO DELICIOUS
Like most if not all recipes, it takes a combination of flavours and quality of ingredients. I want to make a point by saying you DO NOT need a lot of ingredients to create a delicious recipe or a meal. Sometimes, I get caught up in thinking that I need to add this and that in order for my recipe to be appealing and delicious. Then I constantly hear it from top chefs saying, simplicity is the key to an outstanding dish!
This recipe only needs a few ingredients and when you combine it with homemade or good quality store bought pesto, you have a winner of a dish!! Fresh ingredients with garlic which I can’t seem to get enough of and don’t forget whenever you add this wonderful citrus lemon juice to a recipe, it will enhance the flavours further.
Always when making pesto, a good quality extra virgin olive oil can make or break a flavourful recipe. It really does make a difference, trust me, I have tried inexpensive evoo and when I started to use good quality evoo for dishes that I was serving for a dinner party or making one for my blog, it made a huge difference in flavour and texture to a dish.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
- Pasta: I used spaghettini noodles, and found they coated nicely with the ingredients I added; however if you use other pastas, penne, fettuccini, spaghetti
- Seasoning: salt and pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil: recommend a good quality evoo for this recipe
- Cherry or Grape tomatoes: I like to use organic if possible and local for their fresh sweet flavour
- Lemon juice: adds a lovely fresh citrus flavour and makes this pasta dish uniquely delicious
- Basil Pesto: I make my own Homemade Basil and Walnut Pesto and freeze it for times like this or if basil is in season then I make fresh, you can always use a good quality store bought pesto; for this recipe I added a handful of spinach to my pesto and used a food processor to puree the spinach, it is optional
- Parmesan: adds lots of flavour
- Fresh basil leaves: as a garnish
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS PASTA RECIPE
First start with cooking your pasta. I used spaghettini which is a thinner pasta, but other pastas such as spaghetti, penne, fettuccini all would make great substitutions. Follow package instructions until is al dente; and drain. Drizzle with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Using tongs, stir in the pesto and most of the reserved cooking water into the pasta with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Add the tomatoes and divide the pasta between 2 servings. Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese and basil leafs. Enjoy!
SUGGESTIONS TO ADD TO THIS RECIPE
This pasta recipe is a great foundation to incorporate other ingredients, such as adding protein or vegetables. My suggestions would be adding chicken, grilled meats, fish or seafood. The options of veggies are endless, kale, spinach, zucchini, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and the list goes on. Make it your own and you will love the results!
Store this pasta dish in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you decide to add any meats, poultry or fish, then it will keep up to 2-3 days.
MORE FAVOURITE PESTO RECIPES
Easy Tomato and Pesto Pasta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 oz (170g) pasta (spaghetti, fusilli, fettuccine or penne)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup homemade pesto or store bought
- 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
- basil leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta and follow package instructions until is al dente; and drain. Drizzle with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- In a large skillet or fry pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, then sauté for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and caramelize, stir in lemon juice. Remove the tomatoes and set aside or leave them in the skillet.
- Using tongs, stir in the pesto and most of the reserved cooking water into the pasta with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Add the tomatoes and divide the pasta between 2 servings. Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese and basil leafs. Enjoy!
