Giada De Laurentiis’ Ziti with Roasted Garlic and Arugula Pesto Recipe

I’ve never loved the sharp bite of raw garlic you get with most pestos; when you substitute mellow roasted garlic for raw, you can use a lot more — a whole head in this instance — for a deep, rich flavor and none of the sharpness. Here, I’ve paired the garlic with arugula and pistachios for a dreamy green sauce that contrasts beautifully with simple pan-roasted tomatoes. —Giada De Laurentiis

Ziti with Roasted Garlic and Arugula Pesto

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 head garlic

½ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound ziti corti or other short pasta 

3 cups baby arugula

¼ cup salted roasted pistachios, plus more for garnish

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 pint cherry tomatoes

¼ teaspoon flaky salt (or use additional kosher salt)

Grated zest of 1 small lemon, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475℉. 

Cut the garlic head in half horizontally and place on a sheet of foil. Drizzle the cut surfaces with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the kosher salt. Fold the foil up and around the garlic, enclosing it completely. Place on a baking sheet and roast until very soft, about 20 minutes. 

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return to the pasta pot. 

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the roasted garlic, arugula, pistachios, the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt and the pepper. Process until coarsely ground. With the motor running, stream in ½ cup oil until smooth. Add the cheese and lemon juice and pulse two or three times to combine. Set the arugula pesto aside. 

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. (See Hint.) Add the tomatoes and pan-roast, shaking every few minutes until they start to blister, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky salt. 

Add the arugula pesto and about ½ cup of the pasta water to the pasta pot. Toss over medium-high heat until the pasta is well sauced and warmed through. 

Serve topped with the tomatoes, a few chopped pistachios and a bit of lemon zest. 

Hint: If you prefer, you can roast the tomatoes on the sheet pan along with the garlic, cooking them for about 6 minutes or until they are just starting to collapse. 

Excerpted from Super-Italian by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2025 by Giada De Laurentiis. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.