The abundance of sweet summer basil and tomatoes inspired this pasta with pesto cream: the rich and creamy texture makes it irresistible. For a hearty entrée, top the pasta with grilled chicken, scallops or vegetables. This recipe is gluten-free friendly and can easily be adapted by simply preparing it with gluten-free pasta or made vegan by preparing the sauce with vegetable broth.
Special Diet Notes: Pasta with Pesto Cream
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, peanut-free, and soy-free. Optionally nut-free, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
Pasta with Pesto Cream
Author: Alisa Fleming
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Pesto:
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 (16-ounce) package pasta, spaghetti style
Cream:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white rice flour
- ⅓ cup dairy-free milk beverage
- ⅓ cup broth (chicken or vegetable work best)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 basket red cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
To make the pesto:
- Combine the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Pulse the mixture, scraping down the sides of the food processor with a spatula, until smooth.
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions.
To prepare the sauce:
- Whisk together the olive oil, rice flour, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, whisking constantly, add the dairy-free milk a little at a time until incorporated.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low; return the saucepan to the heat. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 6 minutes.
- Add the pesto mixture to the saucepan, whisking until thoroughly blended and heated through. Take care not to boil the sauce.
- Taste and correct the seasonings.
- Gently toss the pasta and sauce together.
- Serve the pasta topped with tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.
