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Fork being twirled in bowl of tagliatelle pesto with fresh basil leaves.
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5 from 8 votes

Tagliatelle Pesto

Tagliatelle Pesto is a quick and easy pasta ready in 15 mins. Fresh and cheesy this simple recipe is the perfect fuss free dinner!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: tagliatelle al pesto, tagliatelle pesto
Servings: 4
Calories: 809kcal
Author: Adrianne

Equipment

  • 1 Food processor
  • 1 Sauté pan
  • 1 Wooden spoon
  • 1 Kitchen Tongs
  • 1 Medium sauce pan
  • 1 Colander
  • 1 Heatproof jug
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

  • 3 cups basil leaves loosely packed, leaves trimmed from stems
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup pecorino romano cheese freshly grated
  • 500 grams/1 pound tagliatelle
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water

Garnish (optional):

  • cracked black pepper
  • pecorino romano
  • basil leaves

Instructions

  • Make the pesto: add the fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and pecorino romano cheese to the food processor bowl and blitz for about 15 seconds. Then scrap the inside edges down with a spatula to keep all of the ingredients low in the bowl.
  • Olive Oil: drizzle in the oil and blitz for around 5 seconds to combine. Then take a teaspoon and test a little bit of the pesto.
  • Lemon juice: pour in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and blitz to combine. Use the spatula again to scrape down the insides of the bowl. Take the teaspoon and test another small amount of pesto. Add remaining tablespoon of lemon juice as needed to balance the flavours. Transfer combined pesto to a small bowl and set aside.
  • Tagliatelle: read and follow the packet instructions to cook the tagliatelle in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water. Before draining, use a heatproof jug to scoop out 1 to 2 cups of pasta water. Then use a colander to drain the pasta and discard the water.
  • Combine pesto and pasta: add the cooked tagliatelle to a large sauté pan, resting on a heatproof surface (no stove required). Dollop in the pesto. Pour in ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and use a wooden spoon and pair of kitchen tongs to toss and combine. Keep tossing till the pasta, water and pesto is consistently combined.
  • Serve: portion the tagliatelle pesto into serving bowls, garnish with freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, cracked black pepper and basil leaves. Provide forks and spoons.

Notes

  • Note 1 - Pine nuts: you can also toast some of these to garnish the top of the dish if you want to. Substitute the equivalent amount of pistachios, cashews or walnuts if you want to try something different for the pesto. 
  • Note 2 - Garlic cloves: if using fresh cloves, use a knife and chopping board to cut the small end bit of the base, before adding to the food processor. You can use ½ to 1 tablespoon of minced garlic if you don't have garlic cloves.
  • Note 3 - Lemon juice: this lifts the flavour of the pesto, but can also quickly over power it if too much juice is used. So taste the pesto before adding any lemon juice, then add 1 tablespoon and combine, then taste again before deciding if you want to add the other tablespoon. You will know quickly from the taste if it is spot on or needs the extra amount. (I do use the 2 tablespoons, but also taste it repeatedly to ensure that specific batch of pesto needs the 2)
  • Note 4 - Reserved pasta water: we only need ½ cup of this for the recipe. It is added once the cooked tagliatelle and pesto have been added to the sauté pan together. Pour it in slowly and then use a wooden spoon and tongs to toss and combine. I refer in the post to taking out 1 to 2 cups. This is because you can leave this in the fridge in a sealed, jar with lid and then use a little to juice up the leftovers before heating (simply drizzle it in and then stir).

Nutrition

Calories: 809kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 484mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1084IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 4mg