Pesto Penne Pasta

School started Monday and it is different from spring in some important ways: I have a plan, I have better technology, I have been thinking about this for three months. It is still hard in all the same fundamental ways: my students need in-person support and I am a voice on a screen. But I know what I am doing now in a way I did not in March. The first week went better than I expected, which is the closest to a win that remote special ed gets.

I used the first two freezer meals this week — the enchilada casserole on Tuesday when I had nothing left after work, the soup on Thursday. Both were excellent in the specific way that having already done the work rewards you. I pulled the casserole out of the freezer at 5 PM, put it in the oven at 350, had dinner on the table at 6:15. Ryan said it was the best Tuesday night dinner we had had in months. I said yes because I made it on Sunday. He said that was cheating. I said it was wisdom and he should try it.

I went to visit Jess grave this week — a few days early, before the anniversary. I needed to go while I had a quiet afternoon and before the school year fully swallowed me. I brought sunflowers, the usual. Sat for a while. I told her we are getting married in June and the ring is small, contrary to Babcia Rose opinion, and that I think she would like Ryan if they had met. I think she would have liked him immediately and given him a hard time about it for years. That is exactly what I told her.

Late August and fall is visible on the other side. The tomato plants are winding down. The basil is flowering, which means it is going bitter, which means I need to make one more big batch of pesto before it is done. That is the blog post this week: late summer pesto with the last of the basil, frozen in ice cube trays so I have it all winter. The same way you cook today for future you. That is kind of the whole thing.

When I said the whole thing is cooking today for future you, I meant it literally—I made a double batch of pesto this afternoon, used half of it tossed with penne for dinner, and poured the rest into ice cube trays for January. This pesto penne is the recipe I keep coming back to because it is fast enough for a Tuesday after a hard day of teaching, and rich enough to feel like you did something right. It tastes like the end of August, which right now is exactly what I needed.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz penne pasta
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook penne according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
Make the pesto. While pasta cooks, combine basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth. Add Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Combine pasta and pesto. Return drained pasta to the pot over low heat. Add pesto and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce to your liking.
Serve. Divide among bowls and top with additional Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Freeze the extra (optional but recommended). If you made a double batch of pesto, spoon the remaining pesto into ice cube trays and freeze until solid, about 4 hours. Transfer frozen cubes to a zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Each cube is roughly 2 tablespoons—enough to dress a single portion of pasta or stir into soup.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pesto Penne Pasta — Making It Now So Future You Has Something Good