Description
This Pasta al Pesto Recipe is so yummy and comes together in just 20 minutes! It's the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner, that everyone in the family will love. Make it tonight!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 batch of my homemade pesto pasta or 1/2 cup of store bought pesto sauce
- 12 ounces of pasta, like Casarecce, Penne or Rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded fine + (optional-additional 1/2 cup for serving)
- 1 cup of reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the pasta and boil until just a minute past al dente, firm when bitten into. *Reserve 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside.* Once the pasta is finished cooking, strain the water from the pot.
- While the pasta is boiling, heat a dutch oven or large skillet to medium low heat. Add in olive oil and allow it to warm up for about 2 minutes. Toss in the shallots and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Add in red pepper flakes and lemon juice and stir.
- Decrease the stovetop heat to low. Pour in pesto sauce and allow it to warm up for a few minutes. The oil will separate a bit, and that's perfectly normal.
- Add in heavy cream and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes to just warm it up. Toss in the cheese and stir gently until it is all melted into the sauce. If it get's too thick, add in a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water in, as needed. Don't water it down too much, because the pasta will have some water in it too. If the pasta is still cooking, keep the sauce simmering on low and stir every few minutes to keep it nice and hot.
- Toss the pasta and creamy pesto sauce together and serve immediately.
- Top with parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a real parmesan cheese, preferably parmigiano reggiano, and shred it straight from the block. This will give you the best texture and taste. Do not use a bottled parmesan or bagged parmesan for this recipe, or the sauce won't thicken correctly.
- Don't forget to save the pasta water! This is so important when making pasta sauces. It can help thin out a sauce, or just make it creamier, and it does a phenomenal job. Sometimes you don't even need it, but it's always good to have. I used about 1/4 cup in this recipe.
- When cooking the shallot, you want them to soften and become translucent, not brown. Turn down the heat if needed.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian