Description
A comforting creamy pesto pasta that captures the essence of home-cooked goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, or penne)
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for vegan)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add pasta and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine toasted pine nuts, basil, Parmesan, and garlic, then pulse until finely chopped. Gradually add olive oil until smooth.
- Add heavy cream to the pesto and pulse until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the drained pasta with the creamy pesto sauce, adding reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and basil as garnish.
Notes
For a lighter option, use half-and-half or cashew cream. Add grilled chicken or vegetables for added nutrition.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pasta Cooking & Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 475
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Keywords: pasta, pesto, creamy, Italian, comfort food