In Giada De Laurentiis' recipe, she uses a classic Genovese pesto sauce, which is made of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. To make this dish, she starts by cooking the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, she makes the pesto sauce. In a food processor, she combines the basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil and pulse until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. She then season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.
Once the pasta is cooked, she drains it and transfers it to a large bowl. She then adds the pesto sauce and tosses to coat. She serves the pasta with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.