Easy pasta recipes are my fave. Especially when you can use up delish homemade pesto.
This silky smooth pesto sauce has a touch of cream or half and half. The grape tomatoes add a pop of color and spinach is just a power food, so I put some in as well.
This comes together in minutes. And it’s nut-free, so the Jersey Girl can eat and still live to talk about it.
For my pesto recipe, click here.
When it comes to any dish that includes pesto, I recommend starting out with small quantities of pesto and then add more if you want a bolder pesto sauce. In my opinion, a little pesto goes a looooong way. But you do you, Boo. If you want to add more than my two tablespoons listed in the recipe, go for it!
Fettucine with Pesto, Spinach and Grape Tomatoes
Course: Main, PastaCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes20
minutesIngredients
3/4 pound fettucine pasta
2 Tbsp. pesto (recipe is below) or more if you want a stronger pesto flavor
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
5 ounces baby spinach
1/2 cup half and half or cream
1 1/2 cups, plus more if needed, of pasta cooking water
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup grated parmigiano cheese, plus for more for serving
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook fettucine according to instructions on the box. About halfway through cooking the pasta, ladle out 3 cups of pasta cooking water into a measuring cup or bowl and set aside.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain.
- Return the pasta pot to a burner over medium heat. Add 1 cup pasta water, olive oil and pesto. Stir until well combined.
- Add half and half, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined. Return pasta to sauce, stir to coat. Add cheese. Add more pasta water if sauce is being absorbed quickly. Stir again.
- Add grape tomatoes and spinach. Stir so that veggies are evenly distributed. Cover with lid so that spinach wilts, about 3-5 minutes.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and more cheese!
