Creamy Pesto Pasta

Need a fast and easy dinner idea for those busy weeknights? Creamy pesto pasta is here to save dinner time. Whether you have a long commute, short commute, kids, no kids, gym sessions or no gym sessions…at the end of the day we’re all tired and recipes like these can be the difference between ordering takeout and eating something homemade and satisfying.

Ingredients

I love this pasta recipe because you only need simple 5 ingredients! Here’s what you need:Light cream or half & half

Pesto. You can use your favorite jarred pesto, or use homemade! To keep this recipe super easy, I use jarred. You’ll need 1/2 cup.

Pasta. I love using Mezzi Rigatoni. You can also penne, or your favorite short pasta.

Cream. You’ll need light cream or half & half. I use half & half all the time in my cream sauces and they come out just as good as using light cream! So use whichever is more convenient for you.

Parmesan cheese. I recommend buying a block of Parmesan and grating it yourself, you’ll get a softer cheese that melts a bit better in the sauce.

Grape tomatoes. The tomatoes add a burst freshness to a creamy pasta.

Only 5 ingredients, and it’s super easy to whip up this sauce!

First, cook your pasta to your liking.

After the pasta has cooked, strain it and set it aside. To the pot, add the cream, pesto, and Parmesan cheese and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes until it’s thickened.

Once the sauce has thickened, add your noodles and stir until they’re all coated with the creamy pesto sauce.

Once served in your bowls, top with the diced tomatoes and extra Parmesan cheese.

Dinner from start to finish in less than 30 minutes!

Cooking Tips

• When you’re cooking the pasta, reserve some of the pasta water in case you need it to thin out your sauce. The best way to thin a sauce that’s gotten too thick is to use some of the water that the pasta is cooking in!
• Sauce too thin? Add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch, bring sauce to a boil then reduce to a simmer. That will thicken up a watery sauce!
• You can add diced fresh Mozzarella too. Although, I feel like the sauce has enough flavor on it’s own and doesn’t really need more cheese. But, if you’re wanting more cheese, choose a fresh Mozzarella since the flavor is mild and won’t compete with the pesto.
• The leftovers taste just as good the next day! Save any leftovers and you’ve got the next day’s lunch or dinner taken care of.

Like pesto? Checkout some of my other recipes where pesto is the star of the show!

Creamy Pesto Ravioli with Crispy Pancetta is another easy pesto pasta dinner with irresistible pancetta!

And easy spread for sandwiches and wraps? Try some Pesto Mayo!

What’s better than homemade pizza? Pesto Pizza will be an upgrade to your next pizza night.

A play on baked ziti, Pesto Pasta Bake is loaded with chicken, ricotta, and lots of cheese.

Looking for more quick and easy pasta dinners? Oh boy, do I have you covered!

More cream sauce pastas Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Easy Alfredo Sauce, Marsala Pasta, Penne Vodka, Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta, and Alfredo Tomato Sauce. These are some of my best and most popular pasta recipes!

And last, two of my favorite baked pastas are this Fajita Pasta Bake and my Baked Penne Vodka.

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Adapted from Tasty