This Creamy Pesto Pasta is a delicious and comforting dish. Combine rich pesto in a silky smooth cream and parmesan sauce. This versatile pasta is ready in under 30 minutes!
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Looking for the perfect easy recipe that everyone will love? This luscious pesto pasta dish never disappoints and is so simple to make.
You only need 12 ingredients, and you probably already have most of them on hand! This family favorite will absolutely delight pasta lovers.
Looking for more delicious pesto recipes? Try this pesto butter salmon, this pesto vinaigrette, this pesto cauliflower, or this chicken pesto pasta salad.
You may also like this super simple lemon garlic pasta recipe, this decadent baked rigatoni, or this cajun chicken alfredo if you're in the mood for more simple pasta dishes!
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Delicious comfort food. The combination of pesto and a parmesan cream sauce over your favorite pasta makes for an irresistible bite. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food!
- Quick and easy. This pasta is ready in 30 minutes or less, making it perfect for busy weeknights or any day of the week.
- Simple ingredients. Use pantry staples to bring this dish together. Anything you don't already have on hand you can find at nearly any grocery store.
- Crowd-pleaser. Serve this dish up to the whole family, or make it for your friends, because everyone loves it!
- Naturally vegetarian. This recipe is naturally meatless and suitable for multiple diet types.
- Perfect for leftovers. Reheat leftovers throughout the week, and serve them alongside some chicken breasts, fish, or any protein for a complete meal.
🌿Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Butter - We prefer to use unsalted so we can control the salt levels better.
- Garlic - Freshly minced.
- Red pepper flakes - Optional, but it adds a really nice kick of flavor. It's not spicy, but you can add more or less to taste.
- Lemon juice and zest
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Heavy cream & milk
- Parmesan cheese - Freshly grated. This is important, as pre-shredded cheese has additives that prevent it from melting properly. In order to achieve that rich and creamy sauce, make sure to grate the cheese yourself.
- Pasta - You can use any pasta shape of your choice. We opted for lumache pasta since the hearty shape holds up really well to the rich, creamy pesto sauce.
- Pesto - We like to make our own fresh pesto in 10 minutes with a food processor, but store-bought pesto also works. Our walnut pesto will keep for about 5 days in the fridge if you want to make it ahead of time.
- Pasta water - Be sure to reserve some of the starchy pasta water to help bring the sauce together, and help the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Basil leaves - Optional, but we like to ramp up the pesto flavor by adding more basil.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Swap the pasta. You can use any type of pasta you like. Some good options would be penne pasta, rigatoni, spaghetti, fusilli, or linguine.
- Pesto. Instead of basil pesto sauce, you can use any type of pesto such as sun-dried tomato pesto (pesto rosso) or arugula pesto.
- Swap the butter. You can use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter if you'd like.
- Cheesier. Add some freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese for an extra cheesy bite!
- Add veggies. For more nutrients, add your favorite veggies like spinach, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, or roasted red peppers. You may even like adding some cherry tomato confit.
- Add protein. You can add a protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, Italian sausage, or even pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or chicken tenders to the pasta for a filling meal.
- Add nuts. Add toasted pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts to the pasta for extra crunch and flavor.
- Swap the garlic. Use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic if desired.
- Spicier. Love a spicy kick? Try adding Calabrian chili paste (affiliate link) or more red pepper flakes for a bit more heat.
- Gluten-free. Use gluten-free pasta, as the rest of the ingredients are already naturally gluten-free.
- Keto-friendly. Just be sure to use a low-carb pasta of your choice, and you're good to go.
- Vegan or dairy free. Use olive oil instead of butter, a vegan pesto, along with a heavy cream substitute like coconut or cashew cream, and vegan parmesan cheese.
🔪Prep work
- If making pesto on the same day, do that first. You may enjoy our homemade walnut pesto.
- Mince garlic.
- Grate parmesan cheese.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt, and cook the pasta a few minutes under the package directions until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the butter, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30-60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. (Image 1)
Pour in the heavy cream, stir, and cook for 1 minute to warm through. (Image 2)
Turn heat to low, then add in the parmesan cheese in small handfuls. (Image 3)
Stir until it's completely melted. (Image 4)
✨Pro Tip: Make sure to stir the cheese constantly to melt it completely, and add it in very small handfuls, so it doesn't clump up in the sauce.
Add the cooked pasta, pesto, and lemon juice. (Image 5)
Toss to combine while slowly streaming in pasta water until the desired texture is achieved, then add in the optional basil. (Image 6)
Continue tossing until the basil wilts, and adjust seasonings to taste. (Image 7)
Serve warm, garnished with parmesan cheese, black pepper, optional red pepper flakes, and basil. Enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- Heavily salt the pasta water. This adds flavor to your sauce and noodles. You want about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt for every 1 pound of pasta.
- Cook the pasta al dente. To avoid mushy pasta, cook it about 2 minutes under the minimum recommended time on the package directions, then add it right to the sauce. The pasta will continue to cook in the sauce, so this ensures it's not too soft!
- Reserve pasta water. Save a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta. We add it to the sauce to get the correct consistency, and it helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Add more pesto to taste. Feel free to add more pesto according to your desired taste.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Or else the cheese won't melt properly in the sauce.
- You will also want to be very gentle when melting the cheese, and add it in small handfuls and melt completely before adding more.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is best enjoyed while it's nice and hot, but it does make great leftovers too. If you need to save it, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Do not freeze.
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of pasta water, or in the microwave.
🍽What to serve with this recipe
Make it a meal, and pair this yummy pesto pasta with some delicious sides and protein!
- Air fryer zucchini
- Lemon garlic green beans
- Air fryer garlic bread
- Lemon herb chicken
- Air fryer steak tips
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- stockpot
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta of choice (any pasta you prefer)
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional and to taste)
- 1 medium lemon, zested
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 6 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 medium lemon, juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh basil, chiffonade (cut into ribbons)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt, and cook the pasta for a few minutes under the package directions until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the butter, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30-60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream, stir, and cook for 1 minute to warm through. Turn heat to low, then add in the parmesan cheese in small handfuls, stirring constantly until everything is completely added.
- Add the cooked pasta, pesto, and lemon juice. Toss to combine while slowly streaming in pasta water until the desired texture is achieved, then add in the optional basil. Continue tossing until the basil wilts, and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Serve warm, garnished with parmesan cheese, black pepper, optional red pepper flakes, and basil. Enjoy!
- This recipe is best enjoyed while it's nice and hot, but it does make great leftovers too. If you need to save it, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Do not freeze. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of pasta water, or in the microwave.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Heavily salt the pasta water. This adds flavor to your sauce and noodles. You want about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt for every 1 pound of pasta.
- Cook the pasta al dente. To avoid mushy pasta, cook it about 2 minutes under the minimum recommended time on the package directions, then add it right to the sauce. The pasta will continue to cook in the sauce, so this ensures it's not too soft!
- Reserve pasta water. Save a cup of starchy pasta water before draining the pasta. We add it to the sauce to get the correct consistency, and it helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Add more pesto to taste. Feel free to add more pesto according to your desired taste.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Or else the cheese won't melt properly in the sauce.
- You will also want to be very gentle when melting the cheese, and add it in small handfuls and melt completely before adding more.
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