Creamy Homemade Pesto and Pancetta Rigatoni
Rich, creamy homemade basil pesto tossed with rigatoni, crispy pancetta, and burst cherry tomatoes, finished with a pillowy burrata ball on top.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- Juice of half a fresh lemon
- 1 garlic clove, raw & whole
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Sprinkle of black pepper
- 2 big handfuls (about 2 cups) fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 (4 oz) burrata ball
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 2 ladles pasta water (or more for saucier pasta)
- 1 (4 oz) package pancetta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 (4 oz) burrata ball, for topping (if desired)
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil water to cook pasta. Once water is boiling, salt it generously (2tbsp) and cook rigatoni pasta until al dente (about 11-12 minutes). NOTE: DO NOT DISCARD PASTA WATER WHEN STRAINING, you will need it later in the recipe!
- Make homemade pesto; in a blender or food processor, add toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse until well chopped. Add basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese and burrata ball. Pulse until combined - it should be thick, creamy and spoonable.
- In a large, deep pan on medium heat, add pancetta. Cook until slightly crispy (about 3 minutes). Then, add garlic and cherry tomatoes, Cook until tomatoes become softened (about 8-10 minutes). Then, add cooked pasta, pesto sauce, and 2 ladles of pasta water. Mix until well combined.
- Add burrata ball on top, if using and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 894kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 523mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 3mg