Creamy Pesto Pasta

Can’t decide between pesto sauce or alfredo sauce? This dish combines the best of both worlds.

Prep Time: 5ish min

Cook Time: 20ish min

Yield: 6-8ish servings

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Ingredients

1 box of pasta (I used mezzi rigatoni)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp butter

1 pint heavy cream

3/4 cup pesto (homemade if you want, but store bought works just fine)

1/4 cup parmesan (plus more for serving)

1/2 tsp black pepper

juice from 1/2 lemon

handful of fresh basil, julienned

salt to taste

Instructions

1. Prep! Mince the garlic and julienne the basil.

2. In a large pan over med/low heat, melt the butter. Once butter is melted, add the garlic and pepper. Cook until fragrant and the garlic is lightly browned.

3. Add cream and pesto. Stir until combined. Turn heat down to low and simmer until the sauce has thickened (about 10-15 min), making sure to stir every once in a while.

4. While sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Make sure to save at least 1/2 cup of pasta water.

5. Add the cooked pasta, basil, parmesan, and lemon juice. Stir until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water a little bit at a time until you get the consistency you want.

6. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

7. That’s it! Serve with extra basil and parm on top for a quick (but impressive!) meal.