Creamy Pesto Pasta

I’m back again with another one of my stupidly simple recipes: creamy pesto pasta. A quick, delicious family meal sure to leave everyone licking their plates clean!

And it’s on the table in 15 minutes!

First, can you ever go wrong with a creamy pasta dish? Hint: no. : )

It’s just the perfect meal for those busy weeknights when you want something satisfying and simple to make. And it’s meatless, but it’s also cheesy and comforting!

And it’s a no-brainer. You technically only need fresh pesto, cream cheese, and pasta.

You can use store-bought pesto, but I highly recommend making your own from scratch. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. You’re done.

Now comes the creamy part.

Combine cream cheese, pesto, and a touch of starchy pasta water in a bowl and make a smooth and creamy pesto sauce. Easy, right?

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the bowl. Toss everything together until the pasta is coated in the silky pesto cream. Serve hot and finish with extra parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.

YUM! Look how beautiful and creamy it is; all you need is a fork for twirling!

This creamy pesto pasta recipe is truly a perfect family meal. You can customize it to your liking and have dinner on the table quickly.

Plus, it is so delicious that even picky eaters will beg for seconds!

List of the ingredients

• Fresh basil leaves (or store-bought pesto)
• Parmesan cheese
• Garlic cloves
• Pine nuts or cashews
• Extra virgin oil oil
• Cream cheese
• Pasta

How to make creamy pesto pasta

(Note: this is simply a quick explanation; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)

• Firstly, you can use homemade pesto or good-quality store-bought pesto.
• If you make pesto, place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and blitz.
• Slowly pour the oil in through the feeder tube while the motor runs.
• Blitz again until smooth or to the desired consistency. Done.

• Add basil pesto and cream cheese to a bowl.
• Before draining pasta, scoop out some starchy pasta water and add it to the bowl.
• Mix the pesto cream sauce until combined and smooth.

• Drain the pasta, add it to the pesto sauce, and toss until well coated.
• Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Creamy pesto pasta ingredients

Whenever there’s a short ingredient list recipe, I always stress the importance of their quality!

Pasta: I’ll go with spaghetti or linguine when I want to indulge. I love it when the sauce sticks to every pasta string in all the right ways. But penne, shells, or rigatoni work just fine. And, of course, premium-quality pasta is best!

Pesto: You can’t beat the intense fresh flavors of homemade pesto made with fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts (or more affordable cashews). But good-quality store-bought pesto also works – if making homemade pesto isn’t an option. : )

Soft cream cheese: For a delicious sweet creaminess with a touch of tang! I love using Philadelphia cheese, but any nice, full-fat, soft cream cheese would do. If you don’t have cream cheese, you can use about 1/4 cup of heavy cream.

Pasta cooking water: It’s full of starch and helps thin out the creamy pesto sauce, making the pasta moist and juicy without adding extra oil!

Delicious add-ins and variations

The wonderful thing about this pesto cream pasta is that it is very flexible, and you can get creative. I used a simple basil pesto, but you could use practically any flavor pesto you’d like, like this delicious spinach pesto, or you could do a sun-dried tomato pesto or arugula pesto.

You can also take this quick pasta in many different directions by adding some protein, like grilled chicken, salmon, or cooked shrimp, or some extra roasted veggies, like cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers. You can also add a touch of lemon juice or zest to brighten the final flavor.

What to serve on the side

It’s the perfect dish to serve with a big salad such as this lettuce salad or spinach arugula salad.

More creamy pasta recipes for you!

Do you love cream sauces and big bowls of luscious pasta? If you want more ideas, check out these quick pasta recipes, amazing Italian pasta, or penne pasta recipes. Below are a few of our staples:

• Cream cheese pasta
• Creamy penne pasta
• Lemon ricotta pasta
• Creamy spinach tomato pasta
• Pasta with artichokes
• Tomato pasta with cream cheese

Lastly, let me know if you make this yummy creamy pesto pasta or have any questions! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!

For more recipe updates, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.