Creamy Pesto Pasta

5 from 2 votes

This creamy pesto pasta recipe is perfect for turning simple ingredients into a quick and delicious pasta dish! It features a luxuriously creamy basil pesto sauce, chewy pasta, and fresh vegetables. Serve it with fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian-Inspired

Keyword: creamy pesto pasta, creamy pesto pasta recipe, creamy pesto pasta sauce

Servings: servings

Calories: 614kcal

Ingredients

6 ounces pasta such as linguine, tagliatelle, fettuccine, spaghetti
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil more if needed
¾ cup cherry tomatoes
2 cups sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove minced
3 tablespoons heavy cream more if desired
¼ cup pasta water more as needed to thicken the sauce
1 ½ cup baby spinach coarsely chopped
¼ cup basil pesto homemade or store-bought
lemon juice to taste
parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

First, cook the pasta in a pot filled with salted boiling water until al dente. Save about 1 cup of pasta water and then drain.
6 ounces pasta
Preheat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan and sauté until they are browned. Be sure to not move them too much so that the tomatoes can blister and the mushrooms can brown. Then season with salt and pepper.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, 2 cups sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper
Now add the garlic clove and sauté everything over medium-low heat until fragrant.
1 garlic clove
Add the heavy cream and pasta water to deglaze the pan. Then add the pasta, baby spinach, and basil pesto. Toss until the sauce clings to the pasta. Add more pasta water if needed.
3 tablespoons heavy cream, ¼ cup pasta water, ¼ cup basil pesto, 1 ½ cup baby spinach
Squeeze in some lemon juice and toss. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
lemon juice, parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves (optional)

Notes

If you want to use homemade basil pesto, feel free to use the one in my pesto gnocchi recipe.

Recipe Video

Nutrition