one skillet cheesy lemon pesto pasta

15 minutes. 5 ingredients. That's all it takes!

Full disclosure: I haven't been to the market in a few weeks...(smh).

but I wanted to use up what I had left in the pantry. So, I decided to make this quick and easy one skillet cheesy lemon pesto pasta.

I learned that pasta can actually be cooked quickly, with less water, in a skillet...

Make the pesto.

Put the fresh basil, lemon juice, olive oil, and parmesan into a food processor, and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

Prepare the pasta.

Place the penne in a large skillet. You want the skillet to be large enough for the penne to fit in without hanging over the edge. Cover the pasta with cold water, barely covering the pasta and no more than 1/2". Add about 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Bring the pasta to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until al-dente. Drain the pasta.

Toss the pesto and pasta.

Reduce the heat to low and add the pesto and prepared pasta, letting it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Toss well to coat.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately topped with additional basil, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan. Enjoy!

Lastly, if you make this one skillet cheesy lemon pesto pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don't forget to also tag me on Instagram!

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THE RECIPE

one skillet cheesy lemon pesto pasta

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces uncooked penne

• 1 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

• kosher salt and black pepper

• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the pesto. Put the basil, lemon juice, olive oil, and parmesan in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

2. Prepare the pasta. Place the penne in a large skillet. You want the skillet to be large enough for the penne to fit in without hanging over the edge. Cover the pasta with cold water, barely covering the pasta and no more than 1/2". Add about 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Bring the pasta to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until al-dente. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water.

3. Reduce the heat to low and add the pesto and prepared pasta, letting it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Toss well to coat.

4. Remove from the heat and serve immediately topped with additional basil, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan. Enjoy!