Easy Pesto Pasta

The final dish
As seen on
Love & Lemons
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(41)

Ingredients

2 servings
  • 6 ounces spaghetti, reserve 1/2 cup starchy pasta water
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup basil pesto or vegan pesto
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Fresh lemon juice, as desired
  • 4 cups arugula
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • Pinches of red pepper flakes
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated Parmesan or vegan Parmesan
BeginnerItalianVegetarianDinner
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Preparation

Chef’s notes

Reserve some pasta water. The salty, starchy pasta water will loosen the pesto enough to make a light sauce over the pasta.
Add the greens at the last minute. Toss them in at the last minute so that the hot pasta can wilt them, and then serve right away.
Taste and adjust. Depending on your pesto, you might need to add an extra squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt, or a big grind of black pepper to make your pesto pasta sing.
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