Pesto Fettuccine (Fettuccine Al Pesto)

Pesto Fettuccine is a super quick and easy pesto pasta recipe that is perfect any night of the week! Using simple ingredients with bright flavours this dish comes together in less than 15 minutes. The whole family will love the minimal effort maximum flavour fettucine pesto and you only need a handful of ingredients to make it!

Recipes like the Linguine Al Pesto, Fusilli Al Pesto and Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad are all about non meat based herby fresh pasta.

The Fettuccine Bolognese offers a fettuccine pasta of a non traditional spag bowl kind.

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the recipe in the points below:

• Budget friendly: without the addition of meat and using low cost ingredients this is a recipe that won't blow the budget. Bring the fettucine with basil pesto together on a week night or night that you would normally have gone out to eat and save time, energy and effort all at once 😉.
• Busy weeknights: don't allow for in depth time consuming recipes. Having a simple Italian recipe like this up your sleeve allows for an easy weeknight dinner.
• Vegetarian pasta: we all love a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs from time to time but other times it can be nice to have a lighter pasta. This fettucine al pesto (with fresh pesto) is satisfying but won't leave you feeling as heavy 'ugh' as a meat sauce pasta 👍😊.
• Fresh basil pesto: is surprisingly easy and straight forward to make at home. Store-bought pesto is easy, but you know exactly what ingredients go into the pesto when its a homemade pesto sauce and can switch up the nut for a change (see my substitutions and variations for more).
• Taste and texture: this pesto fettuccine recipe offers freshly cooked al dente pasta mixed together with garlicky, herby, citrus freshness. It is packed with flavour and yet very simple to bring together. It will soon become one of your favorite recipes to return to over and over again.

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Fettuccine: an easy to get your hands on pasta that will be in the pasta aisle at the supermarket. It has a flat wide dimension to it and is excellent for allowing the pesto to cling to the pasta.
• Basil leaves: fresh with leaves trimmed from the stems. You can use kitchen scissors to prepare the basil. No need to rinse it, simply pop into the food processor.
• Pistachio nuts: a great nut to use for pesto for its lovely colour as well as high protein value.
• Parmesan cheese: or pecorino romano freshly grated if you can, it is much softer (less gummy) than store bought pre grated cheese.
• Garlic: 1 to 2 cloves is a good amount to aim for. Simply cut the little bit off at the base and pop the remaining cloves into the food processor.
• Olive oil: this helps to bring all of the other ingredients in the pesto together, acting like the binding agent or glue.
• Lemon juice: this gives the pesto lift. It is a fantastic citrus that you can freshly squeeze or use lemon juice from a bottle. We want to taste the pesto before adding this to ensure we get the right flavour balance.

Tasty Tip: I like to offer a number of substitutions and variations to give you options when making the recipe. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe below 😉👌.

🍳 Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by making the basil pesto. I recommend using a food processor to do this as it makes it simple and easy.

• Add basil leaves (Photo 1)
• Then pistachio nuts (Photo 2)
• Add garlic (Photo 3)
• Next add parmesan cheese (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Pesto Fettuccine

Start by layering the pesto ingredients into the food processor bowl, with the basil leaves, pistachio nuts, garlic and parmesan cheese. You can give them a blitz along the way to ensure that they chop up finely.

• Add the olive oil (Photo 5)
• Then add the lemon juice (Photo 6)
• Next transfer the pesto to a small bowl (Photo 7)
• Reserve some of the pasta water (Photo 8)

Drizzle in the olive oil and then use a teaspoon to taste the pesto. Next add the lemon juice. Do this slowly and taste it as you go. You can reduce the amount (2 tablespoons) or add a little more to get the balance just right.

Once the pesto is tasting perfect to you, use a spatula and transfer it to a small bowl. This can be set aside whilst you prepare the pasta.

Read the package directions for the fettuccine and cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water with a teaspoon of salt. Use a heatproof jug to scoop out some of the pasta water (1 to 2 cups) then drain pasta, discarding the remaining water.

Next add the hot pasta to a large skillet or sauté pan, have the heat on very low. Dollop in the pesto then pour in ⅓ cup of the starchy pasta water. Stir to get the pesto mixed consistently through the fettuccine. You can add a little more pasta water at this stage if you wish to as well.

Then get ready to portion and plate and grab your garnishes to finish it all off 👍😁!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Try serving the dish with the Turkish Garlic Bread, Ciabatta Garlic Bread or Garlic Pizza Bread.

For salad pairings either the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad or Healthy Panzanella Salad will work well.

If you are looking at this side as a side to meat recipes rather than a main, it will pair well with the Easy Oven Baked Pork Ribs, BBQ Lamb Ribs or Marinated Lamb Ribs.

If you are having an Italian feast and looking for more meals, the Ciabatta Pizza and Bruschetta Pizza will fit.

The Air Fryer Chicken Skewers or Air Fryer Roast Chicken are proteins that will pair well.

Be as liberal as you like when garnishing the dish and grate some more cheese (parmesan or romano), sprinkle with cracked black pepper and add some basil leaves for a bright pop of colour.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

Store leftovers of the fettuccine in sealed, airtight containers in the fridge. They can be refrigerated for 3 days and can be consumed hot or cold.

How to Freeze

Allow the dish to fully cool. Then portion into air tight containers or zip lock bags, squeeze the air out then seal. Frozen portions of the dish can be kept in the freezer for 3 months.

How to Reheat

Allow frozen portions to fully thaw in the fridge overnight or on the bench during the day before reheating. Reheat in the microwave (fastest) covered for 3 to 4 minutes. Or you can add the cooked pesto pasta back to a pan on the stove with additional reserved pasta water, turn to medium heat and stir till the pasta is heated through.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• Yes, you can use another type of pasta like spaghetti, linguine, angle hair or your favorite pasta.
• If you want to make a creamy pesto sauce, you can add heavy cream to the skillet, dollop in the pesto and combine, then stir in the cooked fettuccine and starchy pasta water.
• Pine nuts, cashews or macadamia nuts are all alternatives that can be used (to the equivalent amount) in place of the pistachio nuts.
• Prawns (shrimp) and scallops are seafood options that work well with this flavour combination.
• Add some baby spinach or rocket (arugula) if you want to add vegetables to the dish.
• Add some crispy thin strips of crispy prosciutto for extra texture!
• Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are minimal prep extra ingredients adding another pop of colour if you wish to add them.
• Fresh parsley is another great way to garnish the dish.
• Add some cooked chicken for extra protein.
• Cooked and heated crumbed chicken tenders cut into smaller pieces is another great addition.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• Add a teaspoon of salt to the water when cooking the fettuccine.
• Use a heatproof jug to drain and reserve some of the water before draining the pasta.
• You can rinse the cooked pasta once drained, however, this is not essential.
• To garnish the dish, be generous with parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper and additional fresh basil leaves.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

Is pesto pasta best served hot or cold?

Pesto pasta is best served hot if it is a dinner pasta recipe or cold if it is a pasta salad recipe.

What cheese goes with pesto?

Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano and Parmigiana reggiano are all excellent cheeses that go with pesto.

Can I leave cheese out of pesto?

Yes, you can omit the cheese from pesto, however doing so will lead to less paste like pesto. You can add additional olive oil and nuts as well as using the lemon juice to ensure that the flavour is to your liking.

😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes

Getting dinner on the table can be the easiest thing that you do all day with some winning recipes to turn to. Here are some ideas that I know you will love:

• Easy Pork Bolognese Recipe
• Tagliatelle Pesto
• Spaghetti Alla Bolognese
• Baked Meatball Subs
• Easy Greek Ribs Recipe
• Pasta Alla Gorgonzola
• Spaghetti Al Pesto
• Gnocchi Gorgonzola
• Spaghetti Gorgonzola
• Rigatoni Gorgonzola

It is time to play with pesto my friend!

Adrianne

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