In the last year two things have changed: we had a baby, and I started eating a crazy amount of pasta. Sounds like an odd combo but they truly go hand in hand. What I realized after having a kid was that eating for us came second and by the time we got around to dinner, we wanted the quickest meal that would fill us up and we could eat for days. Therefore, our overindulgence of pasta began. Fast forward to 1 year into being parents and now that we feel like we have somewhat of a “hold” on it, I’ve been able to put a little more effort into dinnertime. That’s where this incredibly easy, delicious pasta dish comes from. This fresh pesto sauce is not only perfect over pasta, its so delicious in grilled cheese, over eggs, or even on a piece of toast (when I don’t have time to make anything else 😉 )
This pesto butter pasta is so so tasty. The pesto adds a punchy basil freshness and the butter gives this a silky ‘sauce like’ texture. For the recipe I chose to use pappardelle. I like the thicker noodles and how the sauce coats them. Feel free to use whatever you prefer, and if you don’t have access to fresh pasta box pasta works just as well. We make it both ways in my house 🙂
Tips for making the pesto:
This pesto is quite possibly the easiest thing to whip together. All of the ingredients go into food processor, no prep required, and you blend until smooth. Fresh pesto will last for about a week in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 6 months. If you’ve ever attempted homemade pesto before you may have been disappointed when it quickly turned brown. That doesn’t mean it went bad, it’s just the basil changing color after being chopped up. After some trial and error I found the key to keeping its bright green color: blanching the basil before blending it. This pesto will stay green all week long!
This dish is a simple, 6 ingredient meal but elevated. Snuggle up with a movie at home or make this for guests, it’s just so good! For other easy dinner recipes, check out this link!
Pappardelle with Pesto Butter Sauce
Ingredients
For the pesto:
- 3 cups fresh basil
- 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Other ingredients:
- 12 oz fresh pasta I prefer a thicker pasta like pappardelle, but feel free to use your favorite. If you don't have fresh pasta, boxed pasta will work fine!
- 3 tbsp salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup pasta water
Instructions
For the pesto:
- The first thing you will do it blanch the basil which ensures the pesto will stay green! Prepare a medium sized bowl with water and ice. In a medium sized pot bring water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Once boiling, add fresh basil and stir, leaving in for 10 seconds. Remove from the pot and immediately drop into the cold water. Once chilled (2-3 minutes) spoon onto paper towels and press out the access moisture.
- In a food processor add the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic. Pulse until combined, about 20-30 seconds. Once combined, turn the food processor on and slowly pour in the olive oil.
For the pasta.
- bright a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil on the stove. Cook the pasta according to instructions and save ¼ cup of the water for later. Pour through a strainer.
- Return the pasta to the pot and add in ½ of the pesto, melted butter, and half of the reserved pasta water. Use tongs to toss the pasta. Add additional pesto and pasta water if you'd like your pasta more saucy! Serve immediately and top with additional fresh parmesan.
[…] this recipe I’ll use store bought. If you’re looking for an easy, great pesto recipe, click here! All of the ingredients go into food processor, no prep required, and you blend until smooth. […]