Easy Pesto Pasta

Ok folks, it doesn't get much easier or tastier than this dish, my easy pesto pasta salad. The satisfaction and fullness from the pasta, the energy from the beans and the flavors from the pesto and tomatoes make this one of the best dishes you can have in your repertoire. This pesto pasta will be a new favorite once you give it a try.

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Total Time: 20 minutes

I have been making this basil pesto pasta recipe the exact same way since I was in college and I am not tired of it yet.

What I needed back then (and still do today) is a dish that I could easily make and that would keep me full for the day. I would pack up this pesto pasta and bring with me on campus (at the time) or work and it would fuel me for an entire day.

The only cooking you need to do is cooking the pasta and the rest is just assembling (including the pesto).

This is proof that great meals can be assembled! This basil pesto pasta is the perfect meal to eat at home or as a take along to an outing since it is served at room temperature. It also heat up nicely in the microwave if you prefer it hot.

Ingredients in this pesto pasta salad

This pesto pasta recipe has a few usual ingredients (the obvious, pesto and pasta) and a few new ingredients (Italian beans, tomatoes and one other ingredient that I bet you would never guess.) I am going to break down all of them for you.

The Pesto

Now for the pesto, if you have a favorite jarred pesto brand that you like, then by all means use that if it is easier for you. Just make sure it is a good one.

I often use a store bought pesto for this recipe. If you want to make your own, I have a wonderful pesto recipe that I have been using for years and I love it.

This is the pesto I love adding to this pasta when I have time to make it.

If you do decide to make your own pesto, I highly suggest making a double batch and freezing some it until you need it. Why go through all that work for one batch when you can essentially make 2 batches in the same amount of time.

I am always thinking of these shortcuts in the kitchen.

I have made and bought my own pesto and there is no shame in store bought. In fact it is a real time saver for quick meals to keep some in your pantry.

The Cannellini Beans in this pesto pasta

Now that we have talked about the pesto, it is time to discuss the other ingredients. This recipe also calls for cannellini beans which can totally be optional, however, I highly recommend them in this dish.

It makes the pasta go from just a regular pesto pasta to a high energy dish. The beans are really good for you and the creaminess from these Italian beans goes so well with the flavors in this pesto pasta.

Tip: Make sure that you rinse your beans well before adding them into your pasta since canned beans sit in a brine.

Fresh Tomatoes in this pesto pasta

Tomatoes are the fresh ingredient that balances this pesto pasta and keeps it feeling light. I also happen to love tomatoes.

The combination of pesto and tomatoes is a match made in heaven!

For this recipe, you can use any tomatoes you like. I will use large tomatoes that I dice up if that is what I have in the house.

Sometimes I may have cherry or grape tomatoes. In that instance, I slice them in half for more manageable bite sized pieces.

The Secret Ingredient in this basil pesto pasta recipe

There is only one more ingredient we haven't talked about with this pesto and pasta recipe. The ingredient that you will see that is a little different from other pesto and pasta recipes is the addition of balsamic vinegar.

This to me is very important and it really adds a depth of flavor that I feel pesto pasta lacks.

Pesto on its own is bold and full flavored but once it is mixed with pasta it dulls the flavors a bit. The balsamic vinegar helps wake those flavors back up and adds a faint touch of sweetness in the background.

It is just a little that you add so don't worry that it will be too much.

You will see many recipes that just add lemon juice right into the pesto to brighten up the flavors and that works too but this is my preference and so good!

How to make store bought pesto better

If you are working with store bought pesto for this recipe, there are some ways to make it taste better. Even if it is your favorite brand and already delicious on its own.

Here are my tips for adding a little more flavor to store bought pesto.

• Add additional finely shredded Parmesan. I will usually eyeball this but I like to add around ¼ cup of very finely grated Parmesan to the pesto.
• Add a little balsamic vinegar to brighten up the flavors. I give my recommendations for the amounts I like to use below.
• Add a little fresh lemon juice. You only need to squeeze about ½ of a lemon into the store bought pesto.
• Add a little extra salt. Sometimes store bought pesto just needs a little salt. I like to use kosher salt and I start with just a pinch of this until it it seasoned to my taste.
• Olive oil. Sometimes store bought pesto is too thick. When this happens, I like to add a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil and mix it well.