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Easy One-Pot Creamy Pesto Pasta

A close-up view of penne pasta coated in rich, creamy pesto pasta sauce, garnished with fresh herbs.
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Make this rich, flavorful creamy pesto pasta in one pot for a quick weeknight dinner with minimal cleanup. This recipe delivers a velvety sauce using basil pesto and simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces pasta (penne or rotini work well)
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • Optional: 1 cup cooked chicken, diced (for non-vegetarian version)

Instructions

  1. Place the pasta, broth, and water into a large pot or Dutch oven.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
  3. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta is nearly tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
  4. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream, basil pesto, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
  5. If using, stir in the cooked chicken now.
  6. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
  7. Let the pasta sit, uncovered, for 2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
  8. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian pesto pasta, omit the chicken.
  • If you want a richer sauce, substitute half of the heavy cream with 4 ounces of cream cheese, adding it in step 4 until melted.
  • This recipe works well with gluten-free pasta; adjust cooking time as needed.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://fooddexterity.com/creamy-pesto-pasta-recipe/