Spaghetti al Pesto in 5 Minute Homemade Pesto Sauce

Name: Spaghetti al Pesto
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil leaves; 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese; 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts; 3 cloves garlic (peeled); 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 pound spaghetti; salt (for boiling water ); additional grated parmesan cheese; extra basil leaves; cherry tomatoes (halved); grilled chicken; baked salmon

Jump to Recipe

This spaghetti al pesto is made with a homemade pesto sauce that’s ready in less than 5 minutes. Add perfectly cooked spaghetti and have this warm pasta on your plate in no time.

For more pasta dishes, try Pasta in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce or Almond Butter Noodles.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Spaghetti al Pesto:

This basil pesto pasta has 5 ingredient traditional pesto sauce that comes together in minutes.
The whole family, including babies, will love this delicious pasta.
This pasta al pesto recipe is light and healthy with a rich nutty flavor.
Great way to use up extra basil leaves from previous recipes.
No more jarred pesto!

🍲 Ingredients and Substitutions

Basil leaves are crucial to make your own pesto sauce. Find fresh leaves that have the distinct basil smell.

Parmesan cheese adds the cheesy flavor to the sauce. I prefer fresh parmesan to shred myself for the best flavor. For dairy-free, substitute with nutritional yeast. It has the same nutty flavor as parmesan, without the dairy.

Pine nuts or walnuts add healthy fat to the dish as well as flavor.

Garlic because you can’t have pesto without it. The more the better, is my motto!

Extra-virgin olive oil is the main ingredient and base of the pesto. Use a high quality olive oil for the best flavor.

Spaghetti, any preferred noodle or a gluten-free pasta noodle.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Spaghetti al Pesto

In a food processor, combine basil leaves, grated Parmesan cheese, pine nuts (or walnuts), and peeled garlic cloves. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil until the mixture becomes a smooth and creamy pesto sauce. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.
Season the pesto with salt and black pepper to taste. Pulse a few more times to incorporate the seasoning.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti (or your chosen pasta) according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
Add 1/3 cup pesto from food processor to cooked pasta and stir to well combine. Add 2 tablespoons of pasta water to spaghetti and stir. Add more to make it a more smooth and creamy consistency.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

🪄 Tips and Tricks

For babies 6 months and older, serve this pasta as is, cutting up noodles into smaller pieces, if necessary.
Reserve a cup of the cooking water to give your pasta the consistency you want. It adds a creamy texture by adding starch to the dish.

🗒 Variations

For protein, add grilled chicken or baked salmon.
Add halved cherry tomatoes for color and a bit of sweetness.

🗒 Best served with

A side of garlic bread, Air Fryer Green Beans or Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan.

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or freeze up to 3 months.

🤔 Common Questions

Is this gluten-free? Dairy-free?

This easy weeknight dinner is gluten-free if you use a gluten-free noodles. For dairy-free, omit the parmesan cheese and use a vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.