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Home » Course » Main Dish

Easy Basil Pesto Pasta With Meatballs

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January 6, 2023

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Delicious pesto fettuccine pasta with meatballs makes a healthy and delicious meal for the whole family.
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pesto fettuccine
pesto fettuccine recipe
skillet full of pesto fettuccine pasta and meatballs

Easy basil pesto pasta with meatballs is a delicious and crowd pleasing meal the whole family enjoys. We love how easy this homemade pesto sauce comes together in only 10 minutes. This easy weeknight meal is very versatile and can be tossed with all your favorite noodles and meat. We used spinach and turkey meatballs to make this a healthy skillet meal but you can use Italian meatballs, chicken or shrimp if you prefer. Without doubt, this easy recipe for the best fettuccine pesto will be a huge hit with your family.

skillet full of pesto fettuccine pasta and meatballs
  • Notable: quick and easy meal bursting with fresh Mediterranean flavors, that tastes great with chicken, meatballs and shrimp
  • Main Ingredients: fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves, pasta noodles, cooked meatballs and spices
  • Cooking Method: stovetop
  • Nutrients: packed with antioxidants, healthy fats and calcium
  • Cooking Time: 10 minutes prep time and 20 minutes cook time
  • Pairs well with: fresh crunchy salad, garlic bread, Caprese salad, roasted vegetables
  • Special Equipment Needed: large pot or saucepan, skillet, food processor, kitchen tongs
blended pesto in food processor
meatballs and pesto fettuccine

Table of Contents

  • Ingredients
  • Recommended Tools
  • Instructions
  • Make Ahead
  • Recipe Tips
  • What To Serve With Homemade Pesto Pasta with Meatballs
  • More Pasta Recipes
  • How To Store
  • How To Reheat
  • Common Questions
  • Easy Basil Pesto Pasta with Meatballs
  • MORE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this pesto fettuccine recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this pesto pasta fettuccine recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Fettuccine With Pesto Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed)
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓  cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
  • ¼ tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1 lb pasta noodles
  • 25-30 cooked meatballs

Optional Garnish

chopped fresh basil and freshly gated parmesan cheese

Variations and Substitutions

Basil: Use fresh basil from a plant or freshly cut. Do not substitute dried basil. You can, however, substitute half or all of the basil for baby spinach, if you like.

Parmesan: In case you’re in a pinch, you can use grated parmesan from your refrigerated deli section. We don’t recommend using the grated parmesan you find on the shelves in the center aisles of your grocery store.

Nuts: We love pesto with pine nuts, however, you can substitute walnuts to make tasty basil walnut pesto. It really depends on your personal preference. Use walnut pesto the same way you’d use any pesto.

Pasta: As a matter of fact, there is no best pasta for pesto. Even though we used fettuccine for this recipe, you can use any pasta of your choice.

Meatballs: You can use store-bought meatballs or make your own. Any style of meatball works great with fettuccine pesto. Have you tired our Air Fryer Meatballs, Turkey Meatballs, Chicken Meatballs or Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs?

ingredients for easy basil pesto pasta with meatballs

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this homemade pesto fettuccine recipe, try our Chicken Pesto Calzone. You’ll love them because they are crispy and golden brown on the outside and stuffed with melty cheese, juicy chicken and tasty pesto.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Food Processor — We are using a food processor to make the pesto, but a blender would work well too.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook pesto pasta with meatballs on the stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

    COOK PASTA: Firstly, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, add salt and cook pasta according to package instructions. When the pasta is al dente, drain and set the hot pasta aside. Reserve starchy pasta water (¼ cup) if you want to add it to your pasta later with your pesto.

    HEAT MEATBALLS: Then heat meatballs if they’ve been refrigerated or frozen.

    pesto ingredients in a food processor
    blended pesto ingredients in food processor

    BLEND DRY INGREDIENTS: In a food processor, blend basil, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper.

    oil poured into food processor
    blended pesto in food processor

    ADD OIL: Afterwards, slowly add olive oil to food processor while pulsing. Keep adding a little olive oil at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

    pan of fettuccine with pesto on top
    pesto fettuccine

    TOSS WITH PASTA: In a warm skillet, heat the pesto a little bit. Then add drained pasta to your own pesto and toss. If needed, add ¼ cup of reserved pasta water to thin out the pesto. Afterwards, add the meatballs to the top of the fettuccine al pesto.

    ENJOY: Finally, sprinkle freshly grated parmesan over the basil pesto pasta with meatballs and enjoy.

    meatballs and pesto fettuccine
    pan of pesto fettuccine and turkey meatballs

    WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love Italian inspired meatball dinners then you’ll love our Easy Baked Cheesy Meatball Sub Sandwich. This meatball stuffed sandwich bake is cheesy and full of flavor. Try pesto instead of marinara sauce for this perfect meal.

    Make Ahead

    Homemade pesto lasts for a about a week in the fridge. You can therefore prepare the sauce a couple of days ahead of time. Then store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

    Stef says….

    I love using this easy and scrumptious pesto for my Pesto Pasta Salad. This beautiful, flavorful, and easy to make, pasta salad brings a little bit of the Mediterranean to your table!

    Andrea says….

    I’m all about healthy eating right now and I’m pulling out my favorite healthy recipes that are full of bold flavor to keep me excited! This Pesto Chicken Wrap is super simple and such a quick and easy dish to make.

    Recipe Tips

    Follow these tips to make the best easy basil pesto pasta with meatballs.

    • Tip: Make sure to use fresh and bright green basil for your pesto.
    • Tip: Use high quality meatballs. Use your favorite frozen meatballs or make your own.
    • Tip: Thin out the pesto with leftover pasta water to get perfectly creamy pesto pasta.

    What To Serve With Homemade Pesto Pasta with Meatballs

    We love to eat easy basil pesto pasta with meatballs all by themselves. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these tasty recipes:

    Bread: Serve 10-minute pesto pasta with crusty bread or soft dinner rolls. Garlic French Bread is made with fresh parmesan cheese and store-bought French bread. If you have extra time make Pizza Dough Garlic Knots.

    Salad: Pair this best pesto pasta recipe with a fresh salad. A green salad like our amazing Italian Salad or Chopped Asparagus Salad. Or even a Caprese Salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil or Antipasto Salad.

    Side Dish: This fettuccine pesto main dish would taste great with Roasted Vegetables, Parmesan Roasted Broccoli or Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus.

    • italian salad in a bowl with wood salad utensils

      Easy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing

    • Caprese salad (tomato and mozzarella nd basil with oil and vinegar stacked on a fork.

      Caprese Salad

    • 2 halves of a french bread open and toasted with garlic and parmesan

      Garlic French Bread

    • Air fryer roasted vegetables on an oval platter.

      Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables

    More Pasta Recipes

    We are big fans of simple recipes for yummy weeknight pasta meals. They are quick, easy, comforting and oh so good. Here are some of our other favorite pasta dishes:

    • Dump and bake meatball pasta bake with serving spoon scooping out a bite.

      Easy Dump And Bake Meatball Pasta Casserole

    • easy lasagna recipe

      Easy Lasagna

    • birds eye view of a black large saute pan on a dark gray counter. Pan is full of red marinara sauce, large cooked meatballs and sprinkled with fresh slices of basil.

      The Best Italian Meatballs

    • baked ravioli in marinara sauce with mozzarella.

      Baked Ravioli

    How To Store

    Refrigerate: Store homemade pesto pasta leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to one week in the fridge.

    Freeze: Store leftovers in a freezer ziploc bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 months.

    Defrosting: Our favorite way to defrost fettuccine pesto leftovers is in the refrigerator overnight.

    How To Reheat

    You can reheat leftover basil pesto pasta with meatballs in the microwave the next day.

    close up of a bowl full of fettuccine pesto topped with three turkey meatballs

    Common Questions

    Can you add pasta water to your own pesto?

    In case you find your pesto is sticky, you can mix your pesto with ¼ cup of the pasta water before mixing with your noodles. In case you didn’t save any pasta water, add some regular water.

    What do you pair with homemade pesto sauce?

    Pesto pairs naturally with cooked pasta, as a sauce on pizza or sandwiches, as a dressing on a salad or as a dip for garlic bread, for example. Additionally you can use it as a substitute for marinara sauce in a lasagna.

    What flavors pair well with pesto?

    Any dishes with similar ingredients (parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, basil) work well with the fresh flavors of pesto. You can also pair it well with cheese like mozzarella, for example. Pesto pairs especially well with grilled chicken or meatballs. Additionally, you can try it as a salad dressing with fresh tomatoes or dip for bread as well.

    How can I use up easy pesto pasta leftovers?

    In case you can’t eat all this fettuccine pesto try making it into another easy dinner. Try adding leftovers to a baking dish and then cover with fresh mozzarella slices. Bake at 350°F until the cheese is melted and any meat in your pasta is heated through again. Moreover, you can make a cold pesto pasta salad from the leftovers. Firstly, remove any leftover meat from the creamy pesto pasta. Then add sliced black olives, chunks of mozzarella, sliced grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, diced bell peppers or any other vegetables you want to add.

    garlic, meatballs, parmesan
    Course, Cuisine, Diet, Ingredient, Italian Inspired, Main Dish, Method, Pasta, Stovetop, Turkey, Vegetarian
    pesto fettuccine
    5 from 4 votes

    Easy Basil Pesto Pasta with Meatballs


    Course dinner
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Print
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    8 people
    Delicious pesto fettuccine pasta with meatballs makes a healthy and delicious meal for the whole family.
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    Equipment

    • large pot
    • Food Processor or blender
    • large skillet

    Ingredients
      

    Pesto Ingredients

    • 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
    • ½ cup parmesan freshly grated
    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ⅓ cup pine nuts
    • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon pepper freshly ground

    Pasta Ingredients

    • 1 pound fettuccine pasta noodles
    • 30 meatballs cooked

    Instructions

    • Bring water to a boil in a stock pot or large saucepan. Follow pasta package instructions to cook noodles. When cooked, drain and set aside.
    • Heat meatballs if they've been refrigerated or frozen.
    • In a food processor, blend basil, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper.
      pesto ingredients in a food processor
    • Slowly add olive oil to the food processor while pulsing.
      oil poured into food processor
    • In a warm skillet, toss pasta with pesto. Add meatballs on top of the pasta.
      pan of fettuccine with pesto on top
    • Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

    Notes

    • Optional: Substitute half the basil for spinach.
    • Optional: Substitute walnuts for pine nuts.
    • If your pesto is very thick, you can add a little more olive oil.
    • Use your favorite kind of meatball. We used turkey meatballs in this recipe.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 406IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg

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