Creamy Pesto Pasta At Home
About this recipe
Creamy Pesto Pasta is a vibrant and flavorful dish that's perfect for a summer weeknight meal. This recipe combines homemade pasta with a fresh basil pesto, making it a delightful treat for any pasta lover.
Nick's Kitchen brings a personal touch to this classic dish, emphasizing the importance of fresh ingredients and simple techniques that elevate the flavors without complicating the process.
Ingredient notes
- You can substitute 00 flour with all-purpose flour if you can't find it.
Tips from Nick's Kitchen’s video
- Using warm water hydrates the semolina flour faster, which is key for a good pasta dough.
- Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it forms a lumpy ball, then let it rest for 20-30 minutes to relax the gluten before rolling it out.
- Blanching the basil for 15 seconds in boiling water brightens its color and mellows the flavor, enhancing the pesto.
Good to know
- How long does it take to make this creamy pesto pasta?
- The total time to make this dish is about 1 hour.
- What can I use instead of 00 flour?
- You can use all-purpose flour as a substitute for 00 flour.
- How many servings does this recipe yield?
- This recipe yields 4 servings.
- What is pangrattato and how is it used in this recipe?
- Pangrattato is toasted breadcrumbs that add a crispy texture to the pasta, made by toasting breadcrumbs with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Nick's Kitchen: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Preheat the oven and prepare a mini oven-safe pot with a head of garlic, chopped at the top, covered with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 2
Mix semolina flour and 00 flour in a bowl until fully combined.
- 3
Dump the flour mixture onto a cutting board and create a well in the center.
- 4
Add warm water into the well and gradually pull in the flour from the edges to combine.
- 5
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it forms a lumpy ball, then place it in a plastic bag to rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.
- 6
While the dough is resting, prepare the pesto by removing the stems from the basil leaves.
- 7
Blanch the basil in boiling water for 15 seconds, then drain and pat dry before cooling in the fridge.
- 8
Once the garlic is roasted, set it aside to cool.
- 9
Toast the pine nuts in a pan until golden brown, being careful not to burn them.
- 10
In the same pan, make pangrattato by toasting breadcrumbs with olive oil, salt, and pepper until golden brown.
- 11
Blend the cooled basil, toasted pine nuts, roasted garlic, fresh garlic, and grated parmesan in a blender, adding garlic-infused olive oil until desired consistency is reached.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The amount of olive oil is inferred based on typical recipes for garlic confit and pesto preparation.
- The amount of parmesan cheese is estimated based on common usage in pesto recipes.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Nick's Kitchen’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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