A classic pesto pasta made bright with lemon, creamy with bufala mozzarella, and finished with fresh basil. Summer on a plate.

Yield 4 Servings

Mis en Place

500 g Pasta

Pesto

4 C. Fresh Basil Leaves, packed

1/4 C. Pine Nuts, lightly toasted

2 Cloves of Garlic

3/4 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh grated

2 Large Pinches of Salt

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

3/4 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mozzarella di Bufala, for garnish

Fresh Basil Leaves, for garnish

Method

Step 1

Toast the pine nuts

Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan often, until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2

Prepare the pasta

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Do not drain, we want to reserve the pasta water.

Step 3

Make the pesto

In a food processor or blender, combine the basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, garlic cloves, grated Parmigiano

Reggiano, salt, and lemon juice. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Step 4

Combine pasta and pesto

In a large pan pour pesto, then using a slotted spoon scoop the pasta from the pot into the pan of pesto.

Add a few spoonfuls of the reserved pasta water.

Toss well to coat, adding more pesto and pasta water as needed until every strand is glossy and well covered.

Step 5

Finish and serve

Tear fresh mozzarella di bufala over plated pasta.

Garnish with an extra drizzle of olive oil, extra basil leaves and serve immediately.