A Delicious Pesto Pasta Recipe (Using Fresh Basil Pesto)
24 February 2026
A delicious Pesto Pasta Recipe (Using Fresh Basil Pesto)
When people tell me their pesto pasta feels clumpy or heavy, it is almost always one small thing that is missing.
Water.
Not just any water — the starchy water from cooking the pasta.
This Delicious Pesto Pasta Recipe relies on good basil pesto and that reserved cooking water to create a glossy, properly coated bowl of pasta that feels light rather than thick.
If you haven’t already made my Ultimate Vibrant Basil Pesto Recipe, you’ll find it here.
Once you have that ready, this silky pesto pasta recipe comes together very quickly. It is a speedy & delicious mid-week dinner. in minutes.
Why This Delicious Pesto Pasta Recipe Works
There are three important details:
-
Salt your pasta water properly. It should taste like the sea.
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Reserve at least one cup of the cooking water before draining.
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Never mix pesto in a hot saucepan. The residual heat can dull the colour and flavour.
Instead, drain the pasta and transfer it straight into a bowl. Add the pesto and a splash of reserved water. Stir gently and keep adding small amounts of water until the sauce loosens and becomes silky.
You are looking for glossy, lightly coated—not thick and certainly not pasty.
Choosing Your Pasta
Short pasta like penne, fusilli or rigatoni works beautifully because the ridges hold the sauce.
Long pasta such as linguine or spaghetti also works well if properly coated.
You will find the full ingredient quantities and method in the recipe below.
Optional Additions for hot delicious pesto pasta or to make a pesto pasta salad (pictured below)
Once you understand the base method, you can build from here:
- A handful of rocket (or spinach) leaves
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 lemon, zest of 1 lemon and juice of half a lemon
- A handful of pitted olives
- 400 g tin chickpeas, rinsed well and strained
Storage
Pesto pasta is best eaten fresh. If reheating leftovers, add a small splash of water before warming to loosen the sauce again.
A Little Note
Inside the Relish Mama Cooking Club, we spend time on these small technique shifts that completely change the results. Once you understand how to emulsify a sauce properly, so many pasta dishes improve.
You can explore the Club here.
A Gentle Invitation
If you enjoy understanding why a recipe works — not just following steps — you would feel very at home inside the Relish Mama Cooking Club. We build confidence through foundations like this.
You can explore the Club here.
With love,
Nellie
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DelciiousPesto Pasta Recipe
A delicious Pesto pasta & pesto pasta salad
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander
- Mixing bowl (important — not the hot saucepan)
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cup (for reserving pasta water)
Ingredients
- 350 g dried pasta of your choice
- 1 quantity of basil pesto see previous recipe
- Reserved pasta cooking water
- Sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Parmesan grated, to serve
Instructions
- Cook your pasta of choice in boiling and well salted water, according to timing of your chosen pasta’s packet directions. Strain & be sure to reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water (this is essential).
- Place the strained pasta into a bowl. Do not reuse the hot cooking pot for this or you will risk your basil turning from vibrant green to black basil pesto (nowhere near as appealing 😉).
- Add your homemade basil pesto as well as approximately 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Continue adding more water as it is required. You want it to be silky smooth.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, according to your tastes.
- Serve with additional freshly grated parmesan when serving.
Optional additions for pesto pasta or pesto pasta salad:
- A handful of rocket (or spinach) leaves
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 lemon, zest of 1 lemon and juice of half a lemon
- A handful of pitted olives
- 400 g tin chickpeas, rinsed well and strained
Serve with additional freshly grated parmesan when serving.
- Can be serves cold as a pesto pasta salad.
Notes
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