One Pan Creamy Pesto Pasta

This creamy dish boasts tender pasta in a pesto-spiked, tomato cream sauce. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so it's flavorful right to the core. And you're left with one pan to clean!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword cream sauce, one pan meal, pasta with pesto

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 664kcal

Author Robin Miller

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more/less to taste
3 cups water plus more if needed
8- ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon paste or mushroom bouillon paste, or 1 bouillon cube
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pasta shape of choice such as medium shells, penne, or rotini, I used rotini
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the water, tomato sauce, pesto, bouillon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and bring to a low boil.
Add the pasta and cook (gently boiling) according to the package directions, until al dente, stirring frequently and adding more water if necessary (you want a thick sauce).
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Remove the pan from the heat and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Ladle into bowls and serve with extra parmesan cheese on the side.

Nutrition