The important thing is that pesto is a raw sauce and should not be cooked when dressing the pasta. Just toss the hot pasta with a little of its cooking water and the pesto. Stir well, add some cheese, and dinner is ready.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 3Ā 1/2 cups pesto, enough for 1 pound pasta, serving 6 people, and 1Ā 3/4 cups extra (see note)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta.
Step 2
Pulse sun-dried tomatoes, basil leaves, 2 cups parsley leaves, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor. Pour in 1Ā 1/2 cups of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Process to make an almost smooth paste, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 3
Slip the spaghetti into the boiling water, and cook until al dente. Scrape half of the pesto into a large skillet over low heat, and add 1 cup pasta water. Use tongs to drain the pasta and transfer to the skillet. Drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and toss to coat the pasta with the pesto. Remove from heat, and toss with the grated cheese and the chopped parsley.
notes
Step 4
You can freeze the remaining half of the pesto for future use. Just pack it in a plastic container with a thin film of olive oil on top. Thaw in refrigerator before using. Or you can cut the recipe in half, if you just want enough for 1 pound of pasta.
