Lemon Basil Pesto Pasta With Burst Cherry Tomatoes

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Basil Pesto Pasta With Burst Cherry Tomatoes

Lemon Basil Pesto Pasta is made with a variety of basil called lemon basil, burst cherry tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, and creamy burrata.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 998kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

Ingredients

2 cups lemon basil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb pasta, such as rigatoni
18 oz cherry tomatoes
¼ lb prosciutto
8 oz burrata
salt to taste

Instructions

Make the Pesto: Wash and pat dry 2 cups of lemon basil. Add the basil to a food processor or blender and pulse or mince by hand. Add the minced basil to a medium bowl. Add the parmesan, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and combine. Taste and adjust the amount of olive oil, parmesan, and salt as needed.
Pasta: Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
Prosciutto: Bring a large sauté pan to just under medium heat (think #4 on a scale of 1-10). Add the prosciutto and cook until crispy, about 3-5minutes. Turn once and cook on the other side until crispy, another 3 minutes or so. Remove from the pan and set aside. Once cool, roughly break the crispy prosciutto into smaller pieces.
Cherry Tomatoes: Add the cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes. Some, but not all, of the cherry tomatoes should just start to burst.
Assemble: Toss the pasta in the pesto. Serve warm and top with crispy prosciutto and burst cherry tomatoes. Gently break the burrata into 4 pieces and serve with the pasta.

Notes

Making the Pesto: Don't overdo it with the olive oil. The pesto should be more like a paste and less like a liquidy sauce. The emphasis should first be on the basil, then second on the parmesan.

Pine Nuts: I omit pine nuts or any nuts because they can be expensive and don't add enough flavor for it to be worth it. See my Experiment on Pesto With Pine Nuts vs. Walnuts.

Choosing Pasta: For a really excellent meal, use Italian imported slow-dried bronze-cut pasta. It is quite a bit more expensive, but I find that when I buy the higher quality pasta as a treat, the pasta itself becomes a feature of the dish, rather than just the vehicle for the sauce.

Nutrition