My favorite pesto pasta recipe made with easy, flavorful almond-manchego pesto sauce for soft boiled eggs tossed with pasta and served with soft boiled eggs. Great for easy weeknight meals.
This recipe is quickly becoming one of our favorites, a sort of go-to for a quick meal. There is flat out something magical about pesto, the uber Italian sauce that goes so perfectly with pasta.
I often make batches of pesto and keep some in the fridge or freezer, and I actively look for ways to incorporate it into meals OTHER than pasta. It's great swirled into soups and as a spread, but a personal favorite is pairing pesto with egg.
Who'd-a-thunk?
We're talking Pesto Pasta, my friends! Especially served with soft boiled eggs for more of a vegetarian version.
You may be as surprised as we were by the awesomeness of this combination.
It was a busy working day and we wanted something quick for dinner, something really easy to prepare, and I thought, pesto? We always have a productive basil plant this time of year. And peppers, of course.
How about with soft boiled eggs? Patty's eyes lit up and the rest is history.
I've made a version of this recipe several times now and it keeps getting better and better. The yolks drip out and ooze all over the pasta, coating the noodles for the most perfect bite. I have to be careful not to overdo it or we might get a bit of pesto burnout!
For the pesto, feel free to use your own traditional pesto recipe, though for this one I used almonds with grated Manchego cheese and included roasted Pimento de Padron peppers along with roasted garlic.
Similar flavors, though it is nice to vary up the ingredients when making pesto. I also used less oil than you might normally use.
I enjoy a thicker pesto, as you can see below.
Let's talk about how to make pesto pasta, Mike's way, shall we?
Pesto Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta. I'm using rigatoni noodles today, but any pasta will do.
- FOR THE PESTO SAUCE
- Peppers. I'm using pimento de padron peppers today, but you can use other peppers, like jalapenos or serranos. Or skip for a more traditional pesto sauce. Boo.
- Garlic.
- Basil.
- Almonds. Use pine nuts for more traditional pesto sauce.
- Manchego Cheese. Shredded. Use parmesan cheese for more traditional pesto sauce.
- Olive Oil.
- Salt and Black Pepper.
- TO FINISH
- Eggs. So good!
How to Make Pesto Pasta - the Recipe Steps
Roast the Peppers and Garlic. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and set them onto a lightly oiled baking sheet along with the garlic cloves. Dash it all with a bit more oil.
Bake 20 minutes, or until the pepper skins are nicely charred. Remove from heat, cool slightly and peel. Add to a food processor.
Squeeze garlic from their skins and into the food processor they go.
Make the Pesto Sauce. Add fresh basil leaves, almonds, cheese and oil. Process to form your thick pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Boil the Pasta Noodles. Boil the pasta to al dente, drain, and toss the pasta with the pesto, about 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup per serving, depending on your hunger level. Toss to coat! So good!
Soft Boil the Eggs. While pasta is cooking, boil the eggs for 5 minutes. Cool and peel. This is a great soft boil and will allow the yolks to be fairly runny, exactly what you want here.
Time to Serve. Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Slice the eggs in half and top the pasta. Serve.
Boom! Done! Quick and easy, isn't it? Your pesto pasta is ready to serve. Looks delicious, doesn't it? Look at those eggs, rich, vibrant yolks ready to drip down. I cannot wait to dig into this.
Homemade pesto is so much better than any store bought pesto, believe me. I know you will agree once you taste this.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Additional Ingredients. Lemon juice is a nice touch for a bit of brightness. Feel free to include some in the pesto or squeeze it over the top before serving. Cherry tomatoes are a wonderful addition as well. Or add some roasted peppers. So good!
- Proteins. Add some grilled chicken to this dish to make it a fuller meal. Shrimp is a good addition as well.
Try Some of My Other Popular Pasta Recipes
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Spaghetti Verde
- Shrimp Fra Diavolo
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Cajun Pasta
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Rasta Pasta
- See all of my Spicy Pasta Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Pesto Pasta Recipe with Soft Boiled Egg
Ingredients
- Pasta for 4 – I used rigatoni noodles
- 2 Pimento de Padron peppers You can use other peppers, like jalapenos or serranos
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup almonds lightly toasted - use pine nuts for more traditional pesto sauce
- ¼ cup shredded Manchego cheese use parmesan cheese for more traditional pesto sauce
- ½ cup olive oil or more as desired
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and set them onto a lightly oiled baking sheet along with the garlic cloves. Dash it all with a bit more oil.
- Bake 20 minutes, or until the pepper skins are nicely charred. Remove from heat, cool slightly and peel. Add to a food processor.
- Squeeze garlic from their skins and into the food processor they go.
- Add basil, almonds, cheese and oil. Process to form your thick pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil the pasta to aldente, drain, and toss with the pesto.
- While pasta is cooking, boil the eggs for 5 minutes. Cool and peel. This is a great soft boil and will allow the yolks to be fairly runny, exactly what you want here.
- Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Slice the eggs in half and top the pasta. Serve
Nutrition Information
Margaret says
So good!!! Thanks for sharing!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad you loved it!