Light and refreshing walnut pesto comes together with tender pasta and the perfect breadcrumb topping for the ultimate summer pasta recipe! My Walnut Pesto Pasta with Crunchy Garlic Croutons is simple, easy, no-fuss, and is sure to become a staple recipe in your household, this summer!
Friends, hear me out: when it comes to pasta, there’s something about a marinara sauce pasta that reminds me of wintertime, while pesto reminds me of the summer. Is it just me, or does that make sense to you, too? As the weather warms up, I love the fresh, herby taste of pesto alongside my favorite pasta for the perfect summertime dinner. Which is why I knew it was time to bring you a homemade pesto recipe!
This isn’t your traditional pesto – it swaps the traditional pine nuts for walnuts for a deeper flavor. Plus, it’s made with fresh parsley and basil for that refreshing, herby flavor, and fresh garlic and parmesan cheese for that classic pesto taste. It truly couldn’t get better… that is, until you pair it with my Crunchy Garlic Breadcrumbs. These toasted breadcrumbs come together in a matter of minutes, and add a delicious, crunchy topping to this pasta! If you are someone who loves a baked pasta recipe, then I know you are doing to love this.
What You Need to Make This Comforting Dinnertime Recipe
- 🍝 Penne Pasta: Penne pasta works perfect in this recipe for soaking up all of that delicious, creamy pesto. However, any pasta shape works well – and you can also use gluten-free pasta, too!
- Fresh Parsley & Basil: The combination of fresh parsley and basil tastes delicious in this pesto recipe!
- 🧄 Garlic: I always recommend using fresh garlic, whenever possible, and this recipe is no exception. Fresh garlic will be used in both the pesto and the breadcrumbs.
- Walnuts: Instead of the traditional pine nuts, I love the way that walnuts taste in this pesto recipe.
- 🧀 Parmesan Cheese: I always recommend freshly grated parmesan cheese, whenever possible. It adds the best flavor to this dish!
- Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper: A little kosher salt and ground black pepper adds a delicious flavor to this pasta dish.
- 🫒 Olive Oil: If there’s one ingredient that all good pasta dishes require, it’s a good-quality olive oil.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: For the toasted breadcrumb topping, you’ll need panko breadcrumbs (or, a gluten-free alternative!)
How to Make This Crunchy & Creamy Pesto Pasta
To make this pasta dish, start by preparing the breadcrumbs. Heat a pan, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil. Mash the garlic. Once the pan is hot, add the garlic into the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes, watching it carefully so that it doesn’t burn. Once the edges of the garlic begin to brown, add in the panko breadcrumbs, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
Allow the breadcrumbs to cook for another 4-5 minutes, until they’re toasted and browned. Then, remove them from the heat and allow them to cool. Next, prepare the pasta by heating a pot full of water, on the stove, until boiling. Follow the package instructions and cook the pasta until it’s al dente.
Once the pasta is done, drain the water from the pot, reserving approximately 1/4 cup of the pasta water for later.
Then, prepare the walnut pesto. In a food processor, add the parsley, basil, garlic, walnuts, grated parmesan cheese, sea salt and ground black pepper. Pulse the pesto ingredients together, on-and-off, until the mixture is crumbly. Then, slowly add in the olive oil and pulse for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the pesto comes together. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Finally, toss the pasta in the pesto and some of the reserved pasta water, until the pesto turns into a creamy sauce. Garnish the pasta with the toasted breadcrumbs, then serve and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Walnut Pesto:
- 1 Cup Fresh Parsley
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- ¾ Cups Walnuts
- ¾ Cups Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
For the Pasta:
- 1 Pound Penne Pasta, you can substitute gluten-free pasta, if desired!
For the Crunchy Garlic Breadcrumbs:
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- 1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- To make this pasta dish, start by preparing the breadcrumbs. Heat a pan, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil.
- Mash the garlic. Once the pan is hot, add the garlic into the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes, watching it carefully so that it doesn't burn.
- Once the edges of the garlic begin to brown, add in the panko breadcrumbs, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Allow the breadcrumbs to cook for another 4-5 minutes, until they're toasted and browned. Then, remove them from the heat and allow them to cool.
- Next, prepare the pasta by heating a pot full of water, on the stove, until boiling. Follow the package instructions and cook the pasta until it's al dente.
- Once the pasta is done, drain the water from the pot, reserving approximately 1/4 cup of the pasta water for later.
- The, prepare the walnut pesto. In a food processor, add the parsley, basil, garlic, walnuts, grated parmesan cheese, sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Pulse the pesto ingredients together, on-and-off, until the mixture is crumbly.
- Then, slowly add in the olive oil and pulse for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the pesto comes together. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Finally, toss the pasta in the pesto and some of the reserved pasta water, until the pesto turns into a creamy sauce.
- Garnish the pasta with the toasted breadcrumbs, then serve and enjoy!
Rate & review
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