Best Homemade Red Pesto Pasta

Best Homemade Red Pesto Pasta

This red pesto pasta is honestly one of those recipes we keep coming back to week after week. The pesto is rich, deeply savoury, and has this lovely kick from the chilli that makes it feel a bit special without being complicated. What we love is that it comes together in about 25 minutes but tastes like you've been in the kitchen all afternoon. And those zesty crumbs on top? They're the bit that takes it from a good pasta to a genuinely great one. Make this tonight, trust us.

Cook: 25 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Blender
  • Small frying pan for toasting pine nuts
  • Large frying pan for breadcrumbs

Ingredients

  • 4 sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 roasted red peppers
  • 120ml water
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 50g breadcrumbs (or make your own by blitzing up any stale bread)
  • 1 tbsp Nooch
  • ½ lemon juice
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar good quality
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 4 tbsp Nooch
  • 4 portions of pasta of choice
  • 400g spaghetti
  • 2 sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp parsley, thyme, oregano or dried Italian seasoning
  • 50g panko breadcrumbs
  • drizzle of good quality olive oil
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 large lemon
  • 1 roasted red pepper
  • small handful of torn basil leaves
  • 50g pine nuts
  • 1 chilli
  • 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil - from the jar
  • toasted pine nuts
  • drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Method

1

Make the pesto 

  • De-stem the chilli (and de-seed if you’re not good with spice) and cut into thirds
  • Add all the pesto ingredients into a blender and whizz together until smooth
  • Add more water/oil if needed for the desired consistency (note this recipe intends to make more of a sauce than a chunky paste)
2

Cook the pasta 

  • Make the pasta according to packet instructions
3

Make the zesty crumbs

  • Warm the oil in the frying pan over medium heat, and fry the breadcrumbs until golden and crisp
  • Zest half a lemon
  • Off heat, stir in the herbs, nooch, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste
  • Set aside
4

Prepare the remaining garnishes and finish the sauce 

  • Toast the pine nuts (if using) in a dry smaller frying pan over a low heat, until lightly golden and smelling nutty, then leave to cool off heat
  • Finely chop the roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomatoes
  • Once the pasta is done, reserve a cupful of pasta water and add as much as needed to the pesto to loosen the sauce
5

Assemble and serve

  • Drain the pasta and add back to the pot along with the pesto and pasta water
  • Mix well, serve with pine nuts, torn basil leaves and the chopped roast pepper and sun-dried tomatoes, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

  • Dial the heat up or down: The chilli in the pesto brings a gentle warmth, but if you're not great with spice just de-seed it before blending. If you love heat though, leave everything in and thank us later.
  • Get the consistency right: We always add water or oil a little at a time after blending. You want it loose enough to coat pasta easily but not so thin it slides off. Give it a taste and adjust as you go.
  • Don't skip the zesty crumbs: We know it feels like an extra step but it genuinely transforms the dish. Toast them until they're golden and fragrant and make sure you're generous when you scatter them on top.

Why This Works

The trick here is blending everything into more of a saucy consistency rather than a thick paste, so it coats every strand of pasta properly instead of clumping together. We find that's the move most people miss with homemade pesto. The zesty crumbs add crunch and brightness that cuts through the richness of the sauce, and that contrast is what makes the whole thing sing.