Garlic Pesto Pasta is a quick and easy pasta dish that can stand alone or serve as a side when paired with a protein like grilled chicken for delicious weeknight dinner. The pesto cream sauce is full of fresh minced garlic that mellows out from a quick saute and the al dente pasta soaks up all of the delicious sauce.
We have been on a bit of a pesto tear lately. We always keep it stocked in the fridge as its a great flavoring agent in many dishes and both our boys love it. Some of our favorite dishes using pesto are Pesto Artichoke Pasta, Pesto Chicken Wraps, and Baked Pesto Butter Salmon.
This recipe takes less than 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish. It is seriously simple, but all of the ingredients work together to make this dish richly flavored and feel elevated and downright fancy.
This dish can stand on its own, but it is lovely paired with Crusted Chicken Romano Cutlets or Pesto Chicken Parmesan.
Ingredients
- Pasta: Any shape will work, short or long pasta. I used Mezzi Rigatoni.
- Pesto: You can make homemade pesto if you prefer. I used store bought for ease, my favorite is the Kirkland brand from Costco.
- Garlic: This isn’t called garlic pesto pasta for nothing! This recipe uses a whole head of fresh garlic.
- Olive Oil: Just a bit to saute the garlic in.
- Heavy Cream: I love the way pesto and cream work together to make a sauce. It’s so rich!
- Lemon zest: This gives a nice nuanced flavor to the pesto cream sauce, without thinning it out at all.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated will melt the best.
How to make garlic pesto pasta
Step 1. Prepare the pasta according to packaging instructions, undercooking by 1 to 2 minutes to allow it to finish cooking in the pesto sauce. When they are almost done cooking, reserve ½ cup of pasta water in a cup to the side before draining.
In a large deep skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes until fragrant, but do not brown.
Step 2. Reduce the heat to low. Add reserved pasta water, pesto, and heavy cream.
Step 3. Whisk together and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Step 4. Whisk in lemon zest and parmesan.
Step 5. Add drained pasta and stir to coat.
Step 6. Cook for 1-2 minutes to finish the pasta off and let it soak up some of the delicious pesto sauce. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to reserve enough pasta water for use in the sauce. It really helps everything to come together.
- Undercook the pasta by 1 to 2 minutes and allow it to simmer in the pesto to really lock in the flavor.
- Make sure to reduce the heat to low when you are adding the cheese, cream, pesto, and lemon zest to your skillet to create your sauce. This will prevent the sauce from curdling.
- Try adding in some rotisserie chicken straight to the finished pasta for some added protein.
More pasta recipes
- Cheesecake Factory Chicken Chipotle Pasta
- Lemon Caper Pasta
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta
- Creamy Gochujang Pasta
- Sausage and Mushroom Pasta
- Simple Lemon Ricotta Pasta
If you try this Garlic Pesto Pasta Recipe please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love to hear from you.
Garlic Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ lb. dry pasta
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 head of garlic appx. 8 cloves
- ½ cup pesto
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest around the zest of one lemon
- ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to packaging instructions, undercooking by 1 to 2 minutes to allow it to finish cooking in the pesto sauce. When they are almost done cooking, reserve ½ cup of pasta water in a cup to the side before draining.
- In a large deep skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes until fragrant, but do not brown.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add reserved pasta water, pesto, and heavy cream. Whisk together and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk in lemon zest and parmesan.
- Add drained pasta and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to finish the pasta off and let it soak up some of the delicious pesto sauce. Serve immediately.
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