Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

• 16 ounces spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)
• 1 cup basil pesto sauce*
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for serving)
• chopped fresh basil (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Once the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Then drain the pasta into a colander (do not rinse). Transfer the pasta to a clean bowl or pot (not the hot pasta cooking pot).

2. 2

   To the pasta, add about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water along with the pesto sauce, adding a little bit of the pesto at a time, stirring until well combined after each addition. If the sauce seems too thick or is not coating the pasta well, add more pasta cooking water 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until the pesto evenly coats the pasta without seeming dry.

3. 3

   Serve pesto pasta topped with toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese. If desired, add a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat and a bit of chopped fresh basil. Enjoy!