Tagliatelle with Red Provençal Pistou Recipe

By
Kerry Saretsky
a photograph of Kerry Seretsky, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Kerry Saretsky

Kerry Saretsky interned at Serious Eats in 2008, and wrote the French in a Flash recipe column. She also writes her own blog on modernized French cuisine called French Revolution Food.

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Updated May 15, 2019
20120828TagliatelleRedPistou.jpg
Kerry Saretsky

Provençal pistou is wonderful. So often we think of it as a bastardization of pesto, but it's its own thing, with more garlic, the requisite basil and olive oil, and then that sweet chewy charm of sun-dried tomatoes—all the flavor of Provence—smashed into this gorgeously thick, garnet paste. I toss it with fresh tagliatelle, the pasta of Provence, and it becomes a tangle of light, southern comfort. Between the fresh pasta and blitzed up sauce, it's the perfect Provencal dinner in five.

Recipe Details

Tagliatelle with Red Provençal Pistou Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 10 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh basil
  • 20 sundried tomatoes (a full half cup)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 pound fresh tagliatelle

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. While the water is heating, make the pistou. Add the garlic to the food processor, and blitz it to smithereens. Add the basil, sundried tomato, Parmigiano Reggiano, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Blitz in the food processor until you have the consistency of a pesto, scraping down the sides of the bowl once to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

  2. Salt the boiling water, and cook the tagliatelle for just about 4 minutes, until just cooked. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Toss the tagliatelle with the pistou, adding pasta water as needed to thin out the sauce. Serve immediately.

Special equipment

Food processor

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