Description
This easy pesto pasta is ready in 30 minutes. A perfect blank canvas for your favorite veggies or protein!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound pasta (we used rigatoni)
- 3/4 cup basil pesto
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt generously and add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and then drain the pasta.
- Make the sauce. Return the pot to the stove and add pesto and heavy cream; stir to combine. Cook over low heat for 2-4 minutes, until cream begins to thicken.
- Assemble and serve. Add cooked pasta back to the pot and stir to coat with sauce. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time, stirring well between each addition, until sauce is smooth and silky (you may not need all of the pasta water). Taste; add salt and pepper as needed. Top with shaved parmesan and serve.
Notes
Additions and Substitions. Add chicken, steak, shrimp, or beans for some protein. Toss in your favorite vegetables (broccoli, peas, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes are all great here). Double the sauce if you like a lot of sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 3.1 g
- Sodium: 388.3 mg
- Fat: 20.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.9 g
- Protein: 13.5 g
- Cholesterol: 20.1 mg
