This pasta looks so rich and creamy, and it is- but it’s a trick! I use myGuiltless Alfredo Sauce as a base so it’s a sneaky little not-so-bad for you sauce. Adding pesto to it adds incredible flavor. It’s topped with oven roasted tomatoes and mushrooms and sprinkled with fresh parmesan cheese and buttery pinenuts. Oh and I should tell you that I don’t like mushrooms and I can’t eat a raw tomato. Seriously. But roasting these things in the oven does magical things and they turn out sooo yummy. So I challenge any mushroom-tomato haters to try this one.
It comes together pretty quickly too if you do everything in the right steps, so that’s how I’ll write the instructions. I made this a vegetarian meal, but it would be fantastic with some grilled chicken on top
Creamy Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 batch Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
- 1/2 lb Farfalle/Bowtie Pasta that's 1/2 a 16oz box or a little over 3 cups dry pasta
- 3.5 oz Pesto that's about 1/3 cup, or 1/2 of a 7oz container they sell in stores
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 8 oz mushrooms about 3 C sliced
- 3 T pine nuts
- Parmesan cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- 1. Prepare your Guiltless Alfredo sauce. When it's finished, just make sure it's covered and set it aside.
- 2. Place a large stock pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.
- 3. Remove stems from mushrooms and slice. Place tomatoes and mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil (3-4 T should do it) toss with your fingers making sure everything is coated and then lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Cook in the pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes. You can tell the tomatoes are ready when the skins start to split. Don't overcook them or they'll be mush!
- 4. When water comes to a boil add a little salt and the pasta.
- 5. Toast pine nuts: Place nuts in a dry skillet on med heat. Stir constantly. They will start to turn glossy which means the oils are releasing. Then they'll start to brown. (have you checked your pasta? go check your pasta) Let them get golden brown and then remove them from the pan to cool. It should take about 7-10 minutes total.
- 6. Your pasta should be done, drain it if you haven't already.
- 7. Add pesto to alfredo sauce and stir to combine well.
- 8. Tomatoes and mushrooms should be done about now, take them out of the oven.
- Put it all together! Place pasta in a large bowl and combine with as much sauce as you need. Place tomatoes and mushrooms on top and sprinkle on lots of fresh parmesan cheese. Sprinkle pine nuts on top and serve.
Questions & Reviews
I made this tonight, and it was delicious! The method for blending up the the milk mixture in the alfredo sauce is perfect- I wasn’t doing this before- just mixing the butter and flour over heat, then adding milk and melting in the cream cheese- more like a white sauce. BUT- the blending method made a HUGE difference- it was thick and frothy and delicious! We loved the addition of pesto to the sauce. As always, THANK YOU!!! ( We made the Asian Cabbage salad from your book this weekend, and loved that too!!)
I just tried this last night and it was a hit. My husband especially loved it.
This was soooooo good! I made it for dinner tonight and we loved it! I think I will try adding chicken or sausage next time! Thanks for posting!
made this tonight but instead of mushrooms i did artichoke hearts. it was so yummy! i also added chicken breast that i sauteed in butter and garlic.
I absolutely love this recipe! I fed it to my friend who eats like a bird and even she went back for seconds. Thanks!
Very yummy! My husband asked for seconds, and both of my little boys ate it. Success! I will definitely be using the alfredo recipe again! It is very yummy and much healthier than my previous alfredo recipe. I love how it actually thickens like real alfredo! (We did skip out on the pine nuts, because I didn't have them on hand)
Yum!! This is the best!! It was so simple too!! Thanks a ton! This is going to be a regular!
I made this tonight… sooo good. I got some "oh wow!" "oh man" "mmm" noises out of my husband (from the food, that is!) That's how I know I will make it again! thanks, love your site!
Awesome recipe! I did add chicken sausage because let’s face it…we aren’t the vegetarian type. But, the sauce is WONDERFUL! Thanks you.
This was so quick and easy to make for dinner. I will absolutely make this again. And I have to say, you have a winner with that alfredo sauce recipe.