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Pesto pasta is so quick to make from scratch. In just fifteen minutes you can have delicious pasta coated in a homemade pesto sauce on the table ready to be gobbled up.

A large bowl filled with pesto pasta sitting on the bench with stacked bowls and a scattering of basil leaves around on the bench

Why This Recipe Works

Plant-based, perfect if you are looking to reduce your meat intake.
Quick and Easy on the table in 15 minutes flat.
Delicious, your family is sure to love the taste of the spinach and basil pesto sauce.

Ingredients you will need

To make my Pesto Pasta you will need:

Dried spaghetti
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Fresh basil leaves
Spinach leaves
Parmesan
Salt
Ground black pepper
Lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

All the ingredients to make the Pesto Pasta laid out on the bench in small ramekins and jugs

Ingredients Notes & Substitutions

Dried spaghetti: I tend to make this dinner with spaghetti or fettuccine, but you can use any pasta shape including Fusilli, farfalle, rigatoni or penne pasta. I use dry pasta, but you can of course use fresh pasta as well. You can also toss the pesto sauce through zoodles (zucchini noodles).
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds): I like making my pesto with pepitas as they are economical but you can substitute these with pine nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds or walnuts.
Basil and spinach leaves: I like to use a 50:50 blend of basil and spinach but you can of course make a pure basil pesto sauce or spinach pesto sauce. You can also substitute some of the basil and spinach leaves with arugula. You just need 2 cups of green leaves.
Extra virgin olive oil: I like the flavor EVO adds to the pesto sauce but you can use your favourite oil, including avocado oil.
Optional: I don't tend to add garlic to this recipe, but you absolutely can add one or two cloves of garlic to the pesto sauce.

How to make pesto pasta sauce

Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Pesto Pasta recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.

Step one: Cook pasta as per the packet directions in a large pot. Do not discard the cooking water. While your pasta is cooking prepare the pesto sauce.

Step one: Toast your pepitas. I do this by heating a pan to medium heat. Then add the pepitas and toast until they are lighlty browned and begin to pop. Once this happens immediately remove the pumpkin seeds from the heat by popping them in a dish or bowl. i.e. don't leave them in the skillet.

Toasted pepitas scattered along the bottom of a frying pan which is sitting on the bench next to a bowl eachof spinach and basil

Step two: Place all the ingredients for the pesto sauce in a food processor (excluding the olive oil). Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped.

All the ingredients for the pesto whizzed up in a blender sitting on the bench

Step three: Turn your food processor on continuous, while the food processor is running gradually add the olive oil, and continue processing until all the oil is added and a smooth consistency is reached.

A glass jug of oil being poured in to the basil and spinach mixture through the top of the blender

A spoon full of pesto being held above the mixture below in a food processor

Step four: Once your pasta is al dente, drain reserving about ½ a cup of the pasta cooking water.

A hand holding a small jug of pasta water above a pot full of cooked spaghetti

Step five: Transfer the drained pasta to a bowl, add the pesto sauce and approximately ¼ cup of the pasta water, and toss or stir the pasta so that it is well coated with the pesto sauce. If the pasta is a little dry, add more of the reserved pasta water until the pesto pasta has the consistency you want.

A glass bowl full of tossed Pesto and Pasta sitting on the bench with a pair of tongs mixing it together

Enjoy!

Top Tips

Here is how you can make this pesto pasta perfectly every time!

Remember to reserve the pasta cooking water. Adding the pasta cooking water to the pasta and pesto makes the pasta slurpier and more delicious. The gluten in the pasta water helps the pasta sauce coat and cling to the spaghetti. I use the same hack in my buttered noodles recipe.
Use this same pesto sauce recipe to make a delicious pesto pasta salad with cherry tomatoes
This pesto sauce is also lovely with grilled veggies, meat, fish or chicken

A plate full of pesto pasta with a hand holding a forkful of the pasta above it.

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Pesto Pasta

Pesto pasta is a quick and easy plant-based meal your family will love, on the table in fifteen minutes its full of flavour.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: New Zealand

Keyword: pesto pasta, pesto sauce, pesto pasta nz. how to make pesto sauce

Diet: vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 584kcal

RATE THIS RECIPE

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

500 grams dried spaghetti
2 Tablespoons Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup basil leaves (tightly packed)
1 cup baby spinach leaves (tightly packed)
50 grams parmesan
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
150 mililitres extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Pasta

Cook your spaghetti as per the packet directions. Do not discard the cooking water.
While your pasta is cooking prepare the pesto sauce.

Pesto sauce

Toast your pepitas. I do this by heating a skillet to medium heat. Then add the pepitas and toast until they are lighlty browned and begin to pop. Once this happens immediately remove the pumpkin seeds from the heat by popping them in a dish or bowl. i.e. don't leave them in the skillet.
Place all the ingredients for the pesto sauce in a food processor (excluding the olive oil). Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped.
Turn your food processor onto continuous, while the food processor is running gradually add the olive oil, and continue processing until all the oil is added and a smooth consistency is reached.

Pasta

Once your pasta is al dente, drain reserving about ½ a cup of the pasta cooking water.
Transfer the drained pasta to a bowl, add the pesto sauce and approximately ¼ cup of the pasta water, and toss the pasta so that it is well coated with the pesto sauce. If the pasta is a little dry, add more of the reserved pasta water until the pesto pasta has the consistency you want.
Enjoy

Notes

Remember to reserve the pasta cooking water. Adding the pasta cooking water to the pasta and pesto makes the pasta slurpier and more delicious. The gluten in the pasta water helps the pasta sauce coat and cling to the spaghetti.
Use this same pesto sauce recipe to make a delicious pesto pasta salad with cherry tomatoes
This pesto sauce is also lovely with grilled veggies, meat, fish or chicken
Dried spaghetti: I tend to make this dinner with spaghetti or fettuccine, but you can use any pasta shape including Fusilli, farfalle, rigatoni or penne pasta. I use dry pasta, but you can of course use fresh pasta as well. You can also toss the pesto sauce through zoodles (zucchini noodles).
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds): I like making my pesto with pepitas as they are economical but you can substitute these with pine nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds or walnuts.
Basil and spinach leaves: I like to use a 50:50 blend of basil and spinach but you can of course make a pure basil pesto sauce or spinach pesto sauce. You can also substitute some of the basil and spinach leaves with arugula. You just need 2 cups of green leaves.
Extra virgin olive oil: I like the flavor EVO adds to the pesto sauce but you can use your favourite oil, including avocado oil.
Optional: I don't tend to add garlic to this recipe, but you absolutely can add one or two cloves of garlic to the pesto sauce.

Nutrition

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