This stupidly simple creamy pesto pasta makes a quick, delicious family meal sure to leave everyone licking their plates clean. And it's ready in 15 minutes.Pesto recipe makes ½ cup enough for the pasta.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Creamy pesto pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 442kcal
Author: Katia
Ingredients
Pasta
8 oz(225 grams)Linguine or spaghetti (or your fav pasta shapes)
Homemade Basil Pesto (or ½ cup of store-bought)
1 ½ cup(40 grams)basil leaves
¼ cup(20 grams)grated parmesan
1tablespoontoasted pine nuts (or ¼ cup cashews)*
1garlic clove, sliced
¼teaspoonfine salt
⅛teaspoonground pepper
¼ cup(60 ml)extra virgin olive oil
Cream Cheese pesto
½ cup (120 grams)pesto (homemade or store-bought)
½ cup(100 grams)soft cream cheese
¼ cup(60 ml) pasta water, plus more if needed
Instructions
Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta per packet instructions.
When the pasta is nearly done reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water (you need it for the sauce), and stop cooking and drain the pasta.
Pesto
To save time, while the pasta is cooking, make the pesto: place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
With the motor running, slowly pour the oil in through the feeder tube. Blitz until smooth (or to desired consistency), adding a touch of extra oil or water if it helps to blitz.
Creamy pesto pasta sauce
Place cream cheese, pesto and ¼ cup of pasta cooking water in a large bowl (save the rest of the water in case you need it later). Stir until creamy and smooth.
Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl and toss everything together until well combined and the pasta well coated and creamy. Add an extra touch of the reserved pasta water if needed.
Serve immediately while it's still hot with extra grated parmesan cheese and a few toasted pine nuts on top if you wish. Enjoy!
Notes
Pine nuts: just preheat a small skillet over medium heat, add pine nuts and toast until light brown, it takes about 3 minutes. Immediately remove them from the skillet. Alternatively, you can use less expensive cashews intead (either toasted or untoasted).Storage: you can store this creamy pesto pasta leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up 2 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove adding a touch of water if needed. The color will eventually get dull, but the flavor will be still nice. Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one serving and they are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice (extra parmesan cheese for serving is not included). Please see my disclosure policies.