Creamy Pesto Pasta

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This Creamy Pesto Pasta is the perfect combination of indulgent comfort food with fresh, light summer flavors! Ripe, juicy tomatoes combine with white wine and garlic for a quick sauce base, then add heavy cream and fresh basil pesto for an easy vegetarian weeknight dinner!

You’ll Love This

• It’s SO simple. Creamy Pesto Pasta is just that. Heavy cream, homemade basil pesto, and al dente linguine pasta! Sometimes the simple recipes really are the best.
• It’s SO quick and easy! Skip the jar of pasta sauce tonight and throw together this super simple tomato and pesto cream sauce! The tomatoes break down in the oil and white wine with the freshly sliced garlic to create a delicious base for the sauce. Stir in heavy cream and homemade pesto and dinner is done!
• It feels fancy, indulgent, and restaurant-quality, but you can make it in your pajamas! This is a date night dinner at it’s finest. But you don’t have to get fancy to eat fancy. Stay in your PJs, open a bottle of wine, and enjoy some time in the kitchen together!

Instructions

Cook garlic and dried thyme in olive oil for 30 seconds or so.

Add tomatoes and white wine.

Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and add heavy cream and pesto.

Add linguine.

Toss to coat evenly.

Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh basil and enjoy!

Tips

• Moderately salt pasta water and cook just until al dente. I recommend adding 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt to the water just after it comes to a boil and before adding the pasta. This is your first chance to season the pasta and will really make such a huge difference in the overall flavor of this dish.
• To make this dish vegan, just substitute coconut milk in place of the heavy cream and use vegan pesto. My favorite vegan pesto brand is Amore. OR you can make my super easy basil pesto recipe but just omit the Parmesan, adding a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead. In my opinion, nothing compares to fresh pesto but it’s not always a reality on a busy weeknight, so store-bought will work just fine too!
• The creamy sauce will thicken as it cools. But a quick splash of pasta water, heavy cream, or milk will loosen it up again in no time!

Reheating Leftovers

• I love to make a big batch of this pasta and have it in the fridge all week for a quick and easy dinner. It’s perfect alongside a big green salad.
• As mentioned above, the creamy pesto sauce will thicken as it cools. The best way to reheat this pasta is in a pan over medium heat. Add a splash of cream or milk initially and then add more as needed while you’re heating up the pasta.
• It should take about 4-5 minutes to get the pasta heated through. Be sure to keep stirring/tossing the pasta frequently while it is reheating. This will ensure that it heats evenly and quickly so that the pasta doesn’t get mushy.
• If I’m planning to enjoy this pasta at a later date, I will even cook the pasta a minute or so UNDER the recommended cook time for al dente pasta. That way the pasta can finish cooking in the pan as I reheat it each time.
• Don’t forget to season to taste with salt and pepper after re-heating pasta!

Family Favorite Pastas

• Tomato, Garlic & Burrata Bucatini
• Spring Ravioli with Peas & Asparagus
• Roasted Tomato Sourdough Toasts with Ricotta
• Creamy Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
• Easy Greek Pasta Bake
• No-Boil Pasta Bake

Creamy Pesto Pasta

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• Author: Kylie Lato
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Description

This Creamy Pesto Pasta is the perfect combination of indulgent comfort food and fresh, light summer flavors! Ripe, juicy tomatoes combine with white wine and garlic for a quick sauce base, then add heavy cream and fresh basil pesto for an easy vegetarian weeknight dinner!

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• Kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 16 oz. linguine, cooked al dente
• grated Parmesan and fresh basil for garnish

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Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and dried thyme.
2. Cook, stirring frequently for 30 seconds.
3. Add tomatoes and white wine and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and add heavy cream and pesto.
5. Add linguine and toss to coat evenly. Return to heat and cook for just a minute or two, until the noodles are heated through.
6. Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh basil and enjoy!

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Notes

Moderately salt pasta water and cook just until al dente. I recommend adding 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt to the water just after it comes to a boil and before adding the pasta. This is your first chance to season the pasta and will really make such a huge difference in the overall flavor of this dish.

To make this dish vegan, just substitute coconut milk in place of the heavy cream and use vegan pesto. My favorite vegan pesto brand is Amore. OR you can make my super easy basil pesto recipe, but omit the Parmesan, adding a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead. In my opinion, nothing compares to fresh pesto but it’s not always a reality on a busy weeknight, so store-bought will work just fine too!

The creamy sauce will thicken as it cools. But a quick splash of pasta water, heavy cream, or milk will loosen it up again in no time!

Reheat pasta in a pan over medium heat. Add a splash of liquid to loosen up the sauce and cook, stirring frequently for about 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: creamy pesto pasta recipe, basil pesto pasta, vegetarian pasta