Creamy Pesto Pasta is another book-inspired recipe that was in the works long before I had a book to pair with it.
Creamy pesto sauce, IMHO, is so much better than regular ol’ pesto sauce.
My favorite local Italian restuarant makes a version that’s literally had me licking the bowl after I’d wolfed down all the pasta.
I’ve been angling to make my own version of Creamy Pesto Pasta at home, but with said restaurant a mere seven-minute drive from my house…
Let’s just say that motivation was nil.
However, when main character Dannie experiences a life-altering pesto pasta moment in In Five Years, I was like, BAM!
Book-inspired recipe time.
My Creamy Pesto Pasta slightly deviates from the pesto sauce mentioned in In Five Years because 1) Dannie’s wasn’t a creamy sauce (at least, I don’t think so), and 2) Dannie’s version is served over spaghetti.
Um, I hate spaghetti and avoid it as much as possible. I mean, all that slurping that leaves flecks of sauce on your chin (and sweater, and hair)…. the thin, fiddly strands of pasta that are never enough to curb the carb cravings within…
NOPE. There’s no need for that.
Which is why Creamy Pesto Pasta is made with penne. You can use any short pasta you like, though. (Or, if you really insist, spaghetti. Weirdo.)
I happen to think penne, with its tubular shape and many ridges, is perfect for catching all of the herby, savory sauce in this dish.
And, trust me, you want as much of that sauce in your mouth as possible.
Holy shmegeggies, it’s fantastic.
So much punchy basil flavor and so much freshness, thanks to the homemade pesto mixture that takes about five seconds to whip up in a mini food processor.
I say pesto “mixture” because it isn’t a traditional pesto sauce. It uses very little olive oil, and — bonus for all you nut allergy people out there — it’s completely nut-free.
And, for those of you (like me) who don’t like a lot of garlic? This pesto mixture uses a minimal amount without sarificing any of the signature pesto taste.
It was actually shocking how quickly this meal came together. Like, in the time it took to cook the penne, I had the creamy pesto sauce ready and waiting to be tossed with the noodles.
That’s my kinda pasta dish.
Now that I know how easy it is to make Creamy Pesto Pasta at home, my local Italian place may not be seeing me for a little while…
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Creamy Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
PESTO MIXTURE INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed (no stems)
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
CREAMY PESTO PASTA INGREDIENTS
- 10 oz uncooked short pasta (penne, ziti, etc)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- all of the homemade pesto mixture (see above)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, making your pesto mixture: In a small food processor, combine the basil leaves, lemon zest, ¼ cup grated cheese, salt, pepper, garlic power, and olive oil. Pulse a few times ,then puree into a relatively smooth mixture. Taste, adding additional salt or pepper if desired.
- Heat cream in a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated through, stir in the remaining ¼ cup grated cheese and the homemade pesto mixture**.
- Stir ingredients and bring sauce to a low simmer, stirring regularly, until sauce has thickened, 3-5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, then add the drained, cooked pasta to the skillet.
- Stir to coat the pasta and let warm through, then serve immediately with extra grated cheese and basil for garnish if desired.
