Best Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipes

CREAMY PESTO PASTA SALAD WITH CHICKEN, ASPARAGUS AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl; keep chilled until ready to toss with salad. (Store in clean jar with lid.)
• Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to boil in a large soup kettle. Add pasta and, using package times as a guide, boil, stirring frequently and adding asparagus the last 1 minute, until just tender. Drain thoroughly (do not rinse) and dump onto a large, lipped cookie sheet. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining salad ingredients.
• Place all salad ingredients (except buttermilk dressing) in a large bowl or transfer to a gallon-size zippered bag. (Can be covered and refrigerated several hours at this point.) When ready to serve, add dressing; toss to coat and serve.

CREAMY CHICKEN BACON PESTO PASTA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, then remove from the pot and set aside.
• Add the onions and garlic and cook to the pot and cook until softened. When onions are caramelized, add spinach and cook until wilted. Add the milk and bring to boil. Add the fettuccine to the boiling milk and cover. Cook the fettuccine over medium heat until the milk thickens and the pasta is cooked, about 7 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the pesto and Parmesan. Garnish with parsley and more Parmesan.
• Enjoy!

PHENOMENAL CHICKEN AND PASTA IN CREAMY PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place basil, garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts, and tomato in a food processor. Gradually add olive oil, while pulsing, until mixture is smooth and creamy.
• In a bowl, stir together chicken broth, 1 cup white wine, dried basil, oregano, and minced garlic. Stir in chicken pieces.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and sprinkle with sugar. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts, and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and marinade. Stir in 1/2 cup white wine. Simmer chicken pieces, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
• Add pasta and pesto to the skillet. Stir in cream, and cook until the sauce is thickened. Adjust salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Saute garlic in butter and olive oil until fragrant. Cook pasta while sauce cooks, according to package directions.
• Add chicken, whipping cream, salt, and pepper (to taste).
• Let sauce simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Add pesto and parmesan. Stir until creamy and thickened.
• Pour pasta, sprinkle desired amount of parmesan over dish.

CREAMY PESTO & KALE PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry the onions for 10 mins until softened and beginning to caramelise. Add the kale and 100ml water, then cover and cook for 5 mins more, or until the kale has wilted.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the onion mixture, cream cheese and pesto, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season.

ONE PAN PASTA WITH CREAMY SHRIMP AND PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a 4- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 7 to 12 minutes. Drain and return to pan.
• Add shrimp, pesto, cream, broth, and dried tomatoes to pasta; stir over medium heat until hot and evenly incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

CREAMY PESTO PASTA BAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• To make the pesto, mix basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, cold water, heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor for about 30 seconds. Add in olive oil. Process until combined, set aside.
• Cook fusilli to very al dente, or about 3-4 minutes before the package instructs for cook time, then drain pasta.
• Halve cherry tomatoes.
• In a skillet or casserole pan, mix fusilli, cherry tomatoes, and pesto.
• Top with grated parmesan and mozzarella balls.
• Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or until mozzarella has melted.
• Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN AND PASTA

Steps:

• Place chicken in a slow cooker on High power. Add broth and water to cover. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 3 hours.
• Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred using a fork, and return meat to the pot. Add 1 cup cream and entire jar of pesto.
• Cook on High 1 more hour.
• Add remaining cream, egg noodles, and 3/4 of the grated Parmesan-Romano-Asiago cheese to the slow cooker. Add milk.
• Cook on High until noodles are cooked, about 1 hour more. Add extra milk for a thinner sauce. Top with remaining Parmesan-Romano-Asiago cheese.

CREAMY AVOCADO PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse pepitas and garlic until finely chopped. Halve avocado, discard the pit and scoop out flesh. (You should have about 3/4 cup, or 5 ounces.) Add avocado flesh, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to food processor and pulse until chunky.
• Add cheese and basil to food processor. With motor running, drizzle in 1/2 cup water, then drizzle in oil until well blended, scraping down sides as needed. Transfer 2 cups of pesto to a large bowl. Refrigerate any remaining pesto for another use.
• Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. Add pasta and pasta water to pesto in large bowl and toss until pasta is nicely coated in sauce.
• Divide pasta among 4 bowls. Top with more pepitas, cheese and basil.

PASTA WITH CREAMY WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, put the walnuts and garlic in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the basil, cheese, butter and oil and pulse a few more times. Season.
• Pour the cream into a pan and warm through. Add two-thirds of the pesto, then gently heat to loosen it. When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the cooking water, then mix both with the sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the extra Parmesan and basil, if using. The leftover pesto will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to a month.

ONE-POT CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• In 5- to 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook chicken in oil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink. With slotted spoon, transfer to plate, and keep warm.
• Add chicken broth and pasta to Dutch oven; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and most of liquid is absorbed.
• Add cream cheese and pesto, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Stir in chicken; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is heated through.
• Gradually stir in spinach until starting to wilt. Just before serving, garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese.

CREAMY CHICKEN & GREEN BEAN PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta following pack instructions, adding green beans for the final 6 mins of cooking time. Drain and reserve a few tbsps of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add spring onions and cook for 1-2 mins until soft, then set aside.
• Add the shredded chicken in the pan and heat through. Stir through pesto and cream. Pop pasta and beans in with the chicken mix and stir to coat, adding a little of the cooking water. Season and sprinkle with Parmesan.

CREAMY RAMP PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Set aside an ice-water bath in a medium bowl.
• Blanch the ramp leaves in boiling water for 15 seconds. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into the ice bath. Drain the leaves and dry on a kitchen towel. Tops should be bright and vibrant green in color.
• Add the blanched leaves to a food processor with 1/4 of the ramp bulbs and stems, plus the lemon zest and juice, the pistachios and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pulse to finely chop, and stream in the olive oil until the pesto comes together into a thick sauce. Taste and, if desired, add more bulbs and stems, a few at a time, then add salt to taste and pulse to combine. (Reserve the remaining bulbs and stems for use in dressings, sautéed vegetable dishes or eggs.)
• Place the ricotta or mascarpone in large mixing bowl.
• Salt the pasta water and cook pasta about 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Just before draining, remove 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and add to the ricotta or mascarpone to soften and loosen the cheese. Add the ramp pesto and stir to combine. Drain pasta, add to sauce and toss to coat. Transfer pasta to a serving dish or individual bowls, and top with a generous amount of pink peppercorn.

CREAMY PESTO & CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, mix the red pepper with the cherry tomatoes and chicken. Mix the pesto and crème fraîche. Drain the pasta, then stir it through. Toss through the veg and chicken and eat immediately, or pack into a container for lunch.

CREAMY PESTO PASTA WITH ALMOND BREEZE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or large pasta pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta water, rinse and return to pot. Set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, saute shallots and garlic in olive oil until softened and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Add flour, coating shallot and garlic to start a roux. Slowly pour in Almond Breeze, whisking constantly until smooth, and bring mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, or until thickened. Add lemon juice and nutritional yeast, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Blending will help the sauce thicken.
• While sauce is cooking, pulse pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until mixture is smooth. Season to taste, and set aside.
• To finish, combine sauce, 1/2 cup of the kale almond pesto and pasta, and stir until well mixed. Serve on plates or in deep bowls, and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and basil.

SIMPLE CREAMY PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Put pasta on to boil.
• While the pasta is cooking, melt the first lot of butter and saute mushrooms, garlic and proscuitto (or ham). Remove from pan, keep warm.
• Melt second lot of butter. Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Stir in stock and milk and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.
• Add the mushrooms, proscuitto and cheese.
• Stir until cheese is melted.
• Add the pesto, salt and pepper.
• Toss hot pasta with sauce and serve immediately.

CREAMY RED PESTO CHICKEN WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Bring water to the boil in a saucepan and start to cook the pasta (if using fresh pasta, start cooking it later).
• Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Add the diced chicken and cook for 4 minutes.
• Add the diced red onion and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Add the sundried tomato pesto and creme fraiche to the chicken and onion in the skillet. Stir and heat through thoroughly, making sure the chicken is fully cooked.
• Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the sauce to the pasta, stir through and serve, or alternatively serve the pasta topped with the sauce.

CREAMY LEMON-PESTO CHICKEN PASTA RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine lemon pepper marinade and dried basil. Pour over chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (I usually marinate the chicken overnight) Grill chicken for 12-15 minutes, or until done (165 degrees). While the chicken is grilling, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Set pasta aside and keep warm. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and lemon zest. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Add pesto and mix well. To serve, slice chicken into strips. Toss cooked pasta in the pesto, top with chicken and garnish with tomatoes.

CREAMY CHICKEN PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package. Drain and set aside.
• In large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil over medium heat.
• Brown chicken breasts on both sides until nicely golden and cooked through, about 8-9 minutes each side. Remove from pan and cut into 1/2 pieces.
• Pour out drippings from pan but don't wipe the pan out. In the same pan, melt 1/4 cup butter on medium heat. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and dash of white pepper. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Slowly stir in the parmesan cheese into a creamy mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in the pesto sauce and cook for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the chicken pieces for about 3 minutes.
• Serve with breadsticks.
• Serve chicken and sauce over the hot noodles.
• Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper (optional).

CREAMY ITALIAN PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Add cream cheese spread, pesto sauce and milk; toss until smooth and evenly coated. Add arugula, tomatoes and peppers; mix lightly.
• Refrigerate 3 hours or until chilled. Stir in Parmesan and nuts just before serving.