Spaghetti with Spinach, Parsley, and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Headnote

This is a spare, lucid pasta built on green intensity and the quiet sweetness of sun-dried tomato. The pesto is deliberately loose enough to coat, yet structured enough to cling to the spaghetti in a fine, glossy film. A restrained hand with garlic, chili, and black pepper keeps the dish bright, direct, and composed.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Pasta

Cuisine or origin: Italian-inspired

Course type: Main course

Yield: 1 serving

Serving size: 285 g

Prep time: 12 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 22 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Medium saucepan

Large pot for pasta

Fine sieve or colander

Small food processor or blender

Large sauté pan

Tongs

Ingredients

Pasta

90 g spaghetti

10 g salt

Spinach and parsley pesto

20 g parsley leaves

20 g spinach leaves

15 g sun-dried tomato

8 g garlic

18 g parmesan, finely grated

25 g olive oil

2 g red pepper flake

1 g black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil and add the salt. The water should taste distinctly seasoned. Add the spaghetti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice at the beginning, until the pasta is just tender with a firm center and no chalkiness.

2. While the pasta cooks, combine the parsley, spinach, sun-dried tomato, garlic, parmesan, red pepper flake, black pepper, and olive oil in a small food processor. Process to a coarse, spoonable pesto with visible flecks of green and red. The texture should be loose enough to coat the pasta without becoming oily.

3. Reserve 30 g of the pasta water, then drain the spaghetti well. Transfer it immediately to a large sauté pan over low heat.

4. Add the pesto and 20 g of the reserved pasta water to the spaghetti. Toss continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce emulsifies and clings in a thin, glossy layer. Add the remaining reserved water only if needed to keep the pasta supple and lightly coated. The finished spaghetti should be tender, well-seasoned, and evenly dressed, not wet.

5. Taste and adjust only with the existing seasoning balance in the pan by tossing a few seconds longer if the sauce needs more cohesion. Remove from the heat as soon as the pasta appears satin-sheathed and the pesto is fragrant.

Plating and serving

Twirl the spaghetti into a shallow mound in the center of a warm plate. Spoon any remaining pesto evenly over the top, allowing the green sauce and sun-dried tomato to remain visible. Serve immediately while the pasta is glossy and the aroma of garlic, herbs, and chili is fresh.

Professional notes

The pesto must remain slightly coarse; a purée loses both character and grip.

Use the pasta water sparingly. The sauce should emulsify, not thin into a pool.

The final texture must be supple and cohesive, with each strand cleanly coated and distinct.