Creamy Pesto Pasta
This quick and easy creamy pesto pasta is rich and full of flavor. Silky smooth in texture, the pesto pasta sauce is tossed with tender cooked penne pasta and vegetables. A restaurant quality dinner that is out-of-this-world delicious and ready in just 30 minutes!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 486kcal
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 3 teaspoons salt, for cooking pasta
- ½ lb asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces, tough ends trimmed
- 1 zucchini
- ⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves
- ½ cup fresh tarragon, leaves stripped from 10-12 stems
- ¼ cup fresh parsely, finely chopped
- zest of a lemon
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add 3 teaspoons of salt the water, add the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package.
- Cut the asparagus spears into bite-size pieces. Cut the zucchini into matchsticks.
- Add the raw asparagus and zucchini matchsticks to the pot with the pasta after it has been boiling for about 6 minutes. Blanch the veggies in the boiling pot of pasta for 2-3 minutes.Expert Tip! Do NOT overcook the vegetables! The goal is to quickly blanch them in the same pot the pasta is boiling to save time and effort. The vegetables should be al dente...not soft or soggy.
- While the pasta and vegetables finish boiling, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet over medium-heat and toast the pine nuts until golden brown. Allow them to cool.
- Put the pine nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, paremsan cheese, and pepper in a food processor or blender.
- Turn it on and stream in the olive oil until a thick sauce forms.
- Slowly add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto and blend again until well combined. The consistency should be thick, creamy, and silky.
- Drain the pasta and veggies and place them in a large bowl. Immediately add in the pesto.
- Using tongs, toss to coat the pasta and vegetables evenly with the creamy pesto sauce. Add additional salt and pepper to taste topping with additional parmesan cheese.
Notes
- If you don't have a food processor, use a blender.
- When preparing the fresh basil, only use the leaves and the smaller and softer stems. Discard the big stalks. If you've ever tasted pesto that is too bitter, it's because they included the thick stalks.
- To add a bit of spice, add in ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes when running the ingredients through the food processor.
- While this is great as a vegetarian pasta dish, you can always add some protein by adding chicken or shrimp.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
- Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the leftover pesto to keep it green in color. This will prevent turning brown as it sits in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 1307mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 808IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 4mg