Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes
Rigatoni tossed in a bright basil and pine-nut pesto with sweet cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 300 g Rigatoni
- 50 g Basil
- 30 g Pine nuts
- 1 clove Garlic
- 50 g Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 80 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- 40 g Salt
- ½ Lemon (optional)
- 200 g Cherry tomatoes (optional)
- 1 g Black pepper (optional)
Method
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it heavily.
- Strip the basil leaves, rinse and pat them dry. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
- Blitz the basil, pine nuts, garlic and grated Parmigiano to a coarse paste in a food processor.
- With the motor running, stream in the olive oil and a squeeze of lemon until you have a loose, glossy pesto. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Drop the rigatoni into the boiling water and cook one minute shy of al dente, still firm to the bite.
- Reserve a mugful of the pasta water, then drain.
- Off the heat, add the drained rigatoni and the pesto to the warm pan with a splash of pasta water. Toss hard for a minute until the pasta finishes to al dente and the sauce coats glossily.
- Fold the halved cherry tomatoes through off the heat so they stay fresh.
- Plate at once, with extra grated Parmigiano if you like.
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About Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes
Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes is an Italian lunch or dinner that comes together in about 23 minutes and serves 3.
Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes?
A serving has about 740 calories — 21.7g protein, 80.8g carbs, 36.6g fat, 4.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Rigatoni. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Parmigiano-Reggiano. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes take to make?
About 23 minutes start to finish, but only around 12 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out lemon, cherry tomatoes, black pepper — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Pesto Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes make?
This recipe makes 3 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.