Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook for 1 minute past the package's al dente time — the pasta will firm up as it cools, so slightly soft now is perfect.
- While the pasta cooks, make the pesto. Combine the basil, walnuts, Parmesan, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the pesto is smooth and emulsified. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain the pasta and immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking and rinse off excess starch. Drain again thoroughly.
- Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of pesto, then toss the pasta with the rest until evenly coated.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (preferably 2 hours, or overnight). Just before serving, stir in the cherry tomatoes and the reserved pesto to refresh the flavour.
Nutrition
Notes
Net carbs: 43g per serving (48g total carbs minus 5g fibre).
Vegan substitution: Replace Parmesan with 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt.
Nut-free substitution: Skip the nuts entirely and add 1 extra tablespoon of olive oil plus 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan to maintain body.
Storage: Refrigerator up to 4 days in an airtight container. Do not freeze — pesto separates and pasta texture breaks down on thawing.
Reviving leftovers: By day 3, stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a small handful of fresh basil to bring the flavour back.
