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This Creamy Pesto Pasta is the perfect recipe if you’re looking for a speedy, 15-minute pasta to make for dinner tonight. The classic bowl of pesto pasta is elevated into a creamy sauce made with homemade pesto and topped with creamy, gooey burrata and a handful of toasted pine nuts for extra crunch!
Table of Contents
This is one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes. I’ve made so many variations over the years, and of course, this is the very best.
The recipe makes a whole jar of homemade pesto, which really makes this so delicious. You can also use the pesto on so many other things, like this Salmon with a Pesto Crust or Chicken Flatbread that has a yogurt base and pesto over the top. If you want a recipe that isn’t creamy, try my classic Pasta al Pesto.
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and easy to make, and tastes amazing with whatever pasta you use.
- It makes an entire jar of pesto that you can use in this recipe and in a whole range of other recipes too.
- You can jazz up pesto pasta with a whole range of toppings to make it exactly how you like it.
- It’s a simple yet luxurious dinner that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- Pine nuts: Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios will all make a delicious pesto, plus extra to serve.
- Fresh basil: A big bunch with vibrant green leaves is ideal, but something like a pesto is also a great way to use up any slightly older herbs that may have been in your fridge for a while.
- Olive oil: Choose something light in flavor as you’ll be blending it into the pesto.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is what I prefer, but if you don’t like strong garlic flavor, you could use a roasted clove of garlic or a teaspoon of garlic granules.
- Lemon: This adds acidity to the pesto sauce and lifts the flavors well.
- Parmesan: Pecorino and Grana Padano would make good substitutes – make sure the cheese you’re using is vegetarian if that matters to you!
- Pasta: I like casarecce pasta shape but, honestly, use anything you have that takes your fancy! Long shapes work here as well as short.
- Heavy cream (double cream): It would also work with single cream, or you could substitute for a dollop of cream cheese, crème fraîche, or mascarpone.
- Burrata: To serve. You can also substitute excellent quality mozzarella or skip it completely.
Substitutions and variations
Basil: This recipe is for a basil pesto, but you could use a mix of herbs if you want to make it a little different or use up what you have already. A mix of basil and parsley would be very good, or a few chives thrown in too will give it a good flavor.
Heavy (double) cream: Realistically, I often use whatever cream-based product I have in my fridge to make this pesto pasta sauce. I think heavy cream is the most delicious, which is why I’ve written the recipe this way, but I have used cream cheese, crème fraîche, or mascarpone in the past, all very good.
Pine nuts: A whole range of nuts will work – almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios, for example. If nut allergies are an issue, skip the nuts entirely.
How to make creamy pesto pasta
This is a simple step-by-step guide to making pesto. I prefer a food processor to keep some of the texture, but use what you have. The full recipe is at the bottom of the page too.
ONE: Start with the basil and the pine nuts in a blender.
TWO: Grate in the garlic clove. This is optional. Skip it or add a teaspoon of garlic granules if you’d rather.
THREE: Grate in a generous amount of Parmesan.
FOUR: Pour in the lemon juice and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and then blitz until smooth. A food processor will keep it chunkier than a blender.
FIVE: Transfer to an airtight jar and it will keep for a week or two (see tips below).
SIX: This is the texture you’re looking for. Then you can stir it into pasta with cream and mix well – the recipe card at the bottom has all the instructions and measurements.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- How to toast pine nuts: A dry pan is my go-to here, since it lets me watch them closely and pull them the second they’re ready. Toast over medium-high heat, shaking the pan often so they color evenly. The oven works too, but pine nuts go from perfectly golden to burnt fast – keep a close eye if you go that route.
- How to store the pesto: Leftover pesto keeps in the fridge for a week or two in a sealed jar or container. For longer storage, smooth it flat in the jar and pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top (this seals out air and slows spoilage). The oil firms up in the fridge, but it melts right back in once stirred through warm pasta.
- How to store basil: To keep leftover basil fresh for close to a week, trim the stalks and stand the bunch in a small glass or mug with water. Loosely tent a sandwich bag over the top, tucking it down around the glass to seal, and leave it at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Of course you can! We love a good homemade pesto because you can customize it to suit your tastes, but if you have a favorite pre-made one, feel free to use that instead for an even speedier supper!
Yes! Grilled and sliced chicken (or leftover roast chicken) goes really well here, as do crispy pieces of pancetta. Not protein, but while we’re on the subject of add-ins, sun-dried tomatoes would also be delicious. Isle of Wight Tomatoes make some that are to die for!
Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days.
I find the best way to reheat it is in a pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and stir often until it’s hot and melted again. The butter helps the sauce keep its nice creamy texture. Otherwise, the microwave works too for 1-2 minutes until piping hot.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing the pasta once all mixed up, as I find creamy sauces don’t always freeze that well. What you can do is freeze the pesto! Either freeze it in an airtight container, ice cube trays, or a freezer bag. The freezer can sometimes darken the pesto in color, so don’t be alarmed; it will still taste delicious. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can make the pesto ahead of time and have that ready (or use store-bought). See cooking tips on how to store the pesto. When ready, boil the pasta and make up the creamy pesto sauce as instructed. Toss in the pasta, and you’re done.
How else can I use the homemade pesto?
Got extra pesto on hand? It’s just as good stirred into my Chicken with White Beans and Pistachio Pesto or spread through these Greek Lamb Burgers with Pesto. For something simpler, try it piled onto Pesto, Goat Cheese, and Parma Ham on Toast – ready in minutes and genuinely one of my favorite ways to eat it.
Pesto is a great sandwich spread, too. My Chicken, Bacon, and Pesto Sandwich is a regular in my kitchen, and it makes an appearance in Stanley Tucci’s Favorite Sandwich. Worth keeping a jar of pesto around just for these!
Kitchen Basics Recipes
Pistachio Pesto (Pesto Al Pistacchio)
Easy Pasta Recipes
Pasta al Pesto
Comfort Food
Pesto Lasagne (Lasagne al Pesto)
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, and the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!
Creamy Pesto Pasta with Burrata
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 7 oz dried casarecce, or other pasta
- 3-4 tbsp heavy cream (double cream)
- burrata, to serve
- extra toasted pine nuts, to serve
For the pesto:
- 3.5 oz pine nuts, toasted
- 3.5 oz fresh basil, handful of leaves reserved
- 6.75 fl oz olive oil, about generous 3/4 cup
- 1 garlic clove, optional
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2.5 oz Parmesan
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the pesto ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. Taste the pesto and see if you need to add any salt; you may find it’s salty enough from the cheese. Decant the pesto into a clean jar.
- Bring a medium pan of water to a boil, add the pasta, and then lower the heat, cooking for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. When cooked, drain the pasta, reserving a little pasta water.
- Add 3 generous tablespoons of your pesto to the pan, followed by 1 tbsp of the reserved pasta water, mix to combine, and once the sauce is hot, add the cream little by little, checking and tasting so that it’s as creamy as you like it.
- Tip the pasta into the sauce and warm together before dividing between two pasta bowls. Top with half a ball of burrata each if you like. Garnish with more basil leaves and toasted pine nuts. Season and drizzle with your best olive oil.
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To store: Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days. To reheat: I find the best way to reheat is in a pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and stir often until it’s hot and melted again. The butter helps the sauce keep its nice creamy texture. Otherwise, the microwave works too for 1-2 minutes until piping hot. To freeze: I wouldn’t recommend freezing the pasta once all mixed up, as I find creamy sauces don’t always freeze that well. What you can do is freeze the pesto! Either freeze it in an airtight container, ice cube trays, or a freezer bag. The freezer can sometimes darken the pesto in color, so don’t be alarmed, but it will still taste delicious. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make ahead: You can make the pesto ahead of time and have that ready (or use store-bought). See cooking tips on how to store the pesto. When ready, boil the pasta and make up the creamy pesto sauce as instructed. Toss in the pasta and you’re done.Quick tip
How to toast pine nuts: A dry pan is my go-to here, since it lets me watch them closely and pull them the second they’re ready. Toast over medium-high heat,Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
