Alonti Pecan Pesto Pasta

Alonti pecan pesto pasta is incredibly delicious. Homemade basil pesto with pecans is tossed with pasta and served warm as a side dish or cold as a pasta salad.

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What Makes Pecan Pesto So Good? 

Pesto is always made with pine nuts, right? Well, no. There is a wide variety of pesto, and one of the best is this version that uses pecans. Pecans give this sauce a sweet, buttery flavor that pine nuts just can’t match, and as a bonus, they are much cheaper!

Basil Pecan Pesto makes a good sauce for pasta, but there are so many more ways to use this versatile recipe! Check out the section below for more suggestions.

Why You Should Try This Basil Pesto With Pecans 

Besides switching out the type of nuts, this sauce has one more trick up its sleeve. Instead of using only parmesan cheese, as most traditional pesto recipes call for, it adds a touch of Pecorino Romano cheese.

The slight nuttiness of Pecorino Romano works perfectly in pesto resulting in a light yet full-flavored sauce you’ll want to make again and again.

Pecan Pesto Recipe Ingredients

For this pesto recipe with pecans, you’ll need:

• Fresh basil leaves
• Garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pecans
• Kosher salt
• Parmesan cheese
• Pecorino Romano cheese

To finish the recipe, you’ll need:

• Pasta 
• Crushed pecans (optional)
• Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
• Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (optional)

The best pasta shapes for this dish have a lot of surface area. Gemelli and fiorelli, with all their bends and folds, are perfect for trapping pesto sauce. Short tubular pasta like penne and rigatoni would also work well.

If you don’t care for pecans, you can substitute them with walnuts.

How to Make Pecan Basil Pesto

To prepare the pesto sauce:

1. Rinse the basil leaves and dry them very well. 
2. Peel the garlic cloves and smash them with the flat side of your knife to make the cloves easier to process.
3. Combine the basil, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender, but be careful not to blend too much and overheat the sauce.
4. Pulse two or three times just to break up the garlic. 
5. Add the kosher salt to the bowl of the food processor and crumble in the pecans. Process until there are no large chunks of nuts.
6. Add the parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses. Pulse until the cheese fully incorporates. The texture should be somewhat smooth but not a liquid consistency.
7. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the pesto to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge until needed. 

To sauce the pasta:

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. 
2. Drain the pasta, but retain about a cup of pasta water. 
3. Add the pesto sauce to a large mixing bowl. You’ll need about a cup of pesto sauce for each pound of pasta. 
4. A few tablespoons of reserved pasta water mixed into the pesto sauce will thin it out and make mixing easier.
5. Toss the pasta with the pesto sauce. If the pesto is still clumping, add a bit more pasta water. 
6. Plate and garnish with optional crumbled pecans and grated cheese. 

What Else Can You Do With This Pecan Pesto Recipe?

Most people hear “pesto” and immediately think of pairing it with pasta or gnocchi. Both are good options, but they aren’t the only ones. Here are some more creative ways to use Pecan Pesto Sauce:

• Spread it on bread for more flavorful sandwiches.
• Spread it on top of crostini or crackers with goat cheese for a delicious appetizer.
• Make a pizza with pesto sauce, tomatoes, and goat cheese. 
• Toss the pesto with boiled potatoes for an awesome side dish.
• Mix the sauce with scrambled eggs. 
• Whip cream cheese and pesto together for a quick dip. 

How to Store the Leftovers 

Keep extra pesto in the fridge in an airtight container. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it from browning.

For extended storage, pour the pesto into ice cube trays. Freeze it until solid. Transfer the frozen pesto cubes to a plastic freezer bag. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

How Long Will It Last

Basil pesto with pecans will stay fresh for three or four days in the fridge, but the basil may darken earlier. Adding a touch of acidity in the form of lemon juice or vinegar can help preserve the color. 

More Recipes with Pesto

• Creamy Pesto Dressing
• Goat Cheese Crostini
• Homemade Pesto with Pine Nuts
• Olive Garden Chicken Margarita
• Pan Fried Salmon with Pesto Cream Cheese Sauce

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Check out more of my easy pasta recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!