This creamy pesto pasta is perfect for busy weeknights, it comes together in 30 minutes and is creamy, herby, savory, and delicious.
You can make this recipe with homemade pesto or store-bought pesto. I used store-bought pesto for a quick and easy meal to prep. I love making pasta al dente for a delicious Italian feel.
This dish will make you feel like you're in a restaurant, but it actually took you only 30 minutes to prep!
For more delicious pasta recipes, check out my zesty Italian pasta salad, baked tuna pasta, chickpea pasta salad, and baked goat cheese pasta.
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Why this recipe works
- Use leftover pasta- This recipe is great if you have leftover pasta that you want to use up!
- Time- This whole pasta dish comes together in 30 minutes!
- Budget-friendly- This recipe is budget friendly and can feed a whole 4-5 people family!
- Creamy- It is creamy and packed with herby and savory flavors.
- Simple- This recipe uses simple ingredients you probably have on hand and can get in any grocery store.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Cooked pasta- we used penne pasta in this recipe, but you can use any kind of pasta that you’d like.
Garlic- you will need about 3 garlic cloves for this recipe. we use fresh garlic and grate it by hand. We do not recommend using store-bought pre-grated garlic, because it usually has less flavor.
Pesto- we used store-bought pesto, but you can definitely use homemade pesto.
Chili flakes- use your favorite brand of chili flakes for this recipe.
Olive oil- we used extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.
Heavy cream- we used heavy cream in this recipe to make the pasta extra creamy.
Milk- use your favorite milk. We used whole milk. You can use half and half instead of milk.
Parmesan cheese- the parmesan cheese makes this sauce extra creamy and flavorful. I recommend grating your cheese yourself instead of buying pre-grated cheese for the best flavor.
Kosher salt– we used kosher salt in this recipe. You can use sea salt or flakey salt as well.
Black pepper- for flavor. Adjust the black pepper to your personal liking.
Instructions
In a large pot over high heat, add the water, salt, and pasta, and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions.
Drain and wash the pasta with cold water to prevent it from overcooking. (if you have leftover pasta, skip this step)
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, and minced garlic, and cook it until lightly golden brown.
Add the heavy cream, milk (or half and half), basil pesto, chili flakes, salt and pepper, and grated parmesan cheese, and mix well using a wooden spoon. Let the sauce cook on medium-high heat and reach a simmer.
Add the cooked pasta and mix well until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Serve hot and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Make the pasta in salted water. this will make sure that the pasta flavor isn't flat. add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. to stop the pasta from turning soggy from the juices, cook the pasta al dente. this step will keep your pasta dish fresh and delicious.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water when it's ready! This step ensures that the pasta will remain al dente and won't continue to cook.
- Use fresh ingredients! fresh ingredients will make your dish more flavorful!
- When you make the pasta, always reserve a cup of pasta water. If your sauce is too thick, or you don't have enough sauce, add some pasta water and the starchy water will make your sauce creamy and smooth.
- Add your favorite add-ins like cooked broccoli, cooked chicken, fresh spinach, fresh basil, green beans, cherry tomatoes, cooked shrimp, etc.
- Make this dish into a chicken pesto pasta by adding cooked chicken and mixing it together. Pesto chicken pasta is a delicious dish that everyone loves!
- When you reheat this pasta dish, the sauce might look too thick, so I recommend loosening it up by adding a splash or two of milk or water.
Faq's
Pesto cream is very simple to make, it is made of pesto (fresh or store-bought), heavy cream, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, half and half, garlic, and chili cloves.
We made this pasta dish with penne pasta, but any kind of pasta is supposed to work great for this recipe. Try to use short pasta for the best results.
The best way to thicken pesto sauce or pasta sauce is by making a slurry of cornstarch and water. Simply mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoon of milk or water and pour it into the sauce. This will thicken the sauce and will make it creamy.
Add your favorite spices like Italian seasoning, thyme, parsley, basil, and oregano, and add more parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese makes everything better!
To make your sauce less watery, you will need to not swap the heavy cream with milk, and do not skip the parmesan. The heavy cream and parmesan make the sauce super creamy and not watery.
Storing
Store this pasta dish in the fridge. Cover it with a plastic wrap tightly or place it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat this pasta dish either in the microwave in small portions or the whole dish in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Freezing
If you would like to freeze this pasta dish, you totally can! Simply make it according to the instructions, let it cool to room temperature, and either place it in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap.
Freeze for up to 2 months. Make sure that you are using a freezer-friendly container to keep it fresh.
Substitutions
Vegan- It is very easy to make this recipe vegan, simply replace the parmesan cheese and heavy cream with vegan parmesan cheese and vegan heavy cream.
Whole grain- You can use any kind of your favorite pasta kinds and pasta shapes. Like chickpea pasta, brown rice pasta, spinach pasta, quinoa pasta, etc.
Gluten-free- you can make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta. Simply follow the instructions as written.
Variations
Pesto- you can use your favorite pesto for this recipe. It doesn't have to be basil pesto, it can be spinach pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, red pepper pesto, parsley pesto, etc.
Chicken-Â If you want extra protein in your pasta dish, you can add cooked chicken pesto, cast iron chicken, or shredded chicken, and simply mix it with the rest of the ingredients and bake according to the instructions. This can create a delicious creamy chicken and pasta dish.
Seasoning- use your favorite variations of spices. Some of our favorites are Italian seasoning, everything bagel seasoning, paprika, onion powder, chili flakes, etc.
Spicy- if you like your pasta spicier, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or more chili flakes!
Extra creamy- make this pasta dish creamier by adding 50 g of cream cheese to the sauce.
More pasta recipes
Easy Greek Pasta Salad- This Greek pasta salad is perfect for any occasion, make with cooked pasta, fresh veggies, olives, and homemade Mediterranean Greek pasta salad dressing.
Pesto pasta bake- This pesto pasta bake is a super delicious pasta dish that is made in under an hour and tastes like restaurant pasta!
Pink sauce pasta- This pink sauce pasta is made with a blend of tomatoes and creamy cream sauce, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, garlic, and delicious spices.
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Pesto Pasta (30-Minute Meal!)
Ingredients
- 450 g Penne pasta uncooked
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups Heavy cream
- ½ cup Milk or half and half
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon Chili flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup Pesto
Instructions
- In a large pot over high heat, add the water, salt, and pasta, and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions.
- Drain and wash the pasta with cold water to prevent it from overcooking. (if you have leftover pasta, skip this step)
- In a large skillet, on medium heat, add olive oil, and minced garlic, and cook it until lightly golden brown.
- Add the heavy cream, milk (or half and half), basil pesto, chili flakes, salt and pepper, and grated parmesan cheese, and mix well using a wooden spoon. Let the sauce cook on medium-high heat and reach a simmer.
- Add the cooked pasta and mix well until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Make the pasta in salted water. this will make sure that the pasta flavor isn't flat. add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. to stop the pasta from turning soggy from the juices, cook the pasta al dente. this step will keep your pasta dish fresh and delicious.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water when it's ready! This step ensures that the pasta will remain al dente and won't continue to cook.
- Use fresh ingredients! fresh ingredients will make your dish more flavorful!
- When you make the pasta, always reserve a cup of pasta water. If your sauce is too thick, or you don't have enough sauce, add some pasta water and the starchy water will make your sauce creamy and smooth.
- Add your favorite add-ins like cooked broccoli, cooked chicken, fresh spinach, fresh basil, green beans, cherry tomatoes, cooked shrimp, etc.
- When you reheat this pasta dish, the sauce might look too thick, so I recommend loosening it up by adding a splash or two of milk or water.
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