Creamy Pesto Pasta is a simple comfort meal for any weeknight dinner. Is there anything better than pesto? Is there anything better than pesto, cream and butter with lots of parmesan?! Absolutely not!
This is a fool proof three ingredient sauce that anyone can make. The key is saving a little pasta water to finish.
When cooking pasta always save a cup of cooking liquid for the sauce. Cook your pasta to al dente and let it finish cooking in the sauce to soak up all those great flavors. I use the whole jar of pesto in this recipe because I absolutely love the flavor. If this is too much for you start with about half the jar. Everything comes together so quickly and under 30 minutes for a simple, but delicious meal.
Serve this pasta with bread, lots of Parmesan and a big glass of wine!
Wine Pairing Recommendation: I personally love serving pesto with a Sauvignon Blanc, but try going out of the box with Vermentino. It’s crisp and light enough not to over power the dish.
Creamy Pesto Pasta
When cooking pasta always be sure to save about a cup of the cooking liquid to add to your sauce. It’s a trick that most great Chefs use. Even if it gets too soupy the pasta will end up soaking up most of it while it’s finishing cooking in the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 {8 ounce} package Cherry Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 pound Large Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup Prepared Pesto
- 1 pound Linguine Pasta, cooked al dente
- Grated Parmesan, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the cherry tomatoes in olive oil, season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside
- Step 2 In a large pan add the butter and heat over medium high heat. Season shrimp with kosher salt and pepper. Add shrimp to the pan and saute 2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- Step 3 Add the cream to the pan and heat over medium heat until slightly thick. Add the pesto and whisk in, reduce heat to low to simmer. Add the 1/2 cup of reserved cooking liquid, to loosen sauce before adding pasta. Stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and pepper, to taste preference, about a pinch of each.
- Step 4 Add the cooked pasta, roasted cherry tomatoes and cooked shrimp to the pan and toss to coat everything in the sauce. Serve, top with grated parmesan and enjoy!
Savor and Enjoy!
