Creamy Red Pesto Pasta

Creamy, cheesy and delicious, this red pesto pasta with spinach is a quick and easy pasta dish. Great for a tasty weeknight dinner this will quickly become a family favourite! And the best part is that it's ready in just 30 minutes!

Quick and easy pasta dishes are the backbone of my weekly dinner rota. Whether it's Pasta with Spinach and Olives or a Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta a quick pasta dish is a lifesaver when your weekdays are busy! This creamy red pesto pasta dish is a great addition to my weekly rota! It's such an easy weeknight dinner.

Ready in just under 30 minutes this vegetarian red pesto pasta is perfect for when you get home after a long day at work or school. This extra creamy pasta dish is warming, satisfying and very tasty and is a firm family favourite.

The creamy, cheesy sauce is silky smooth and honestly, I could probably just eat that on its own! The toasted pine nuts add a delicious earthy warmth and the sundried tomatoes add some extra zing to the finished dish!

📝 What You'll Need

• Red Pesto - Store-bought pesto is perfect for this recipe but I recommend using a good quality vegetarian one. Just check the pesto ingredients to make sure it is vegetarian. You can also use homemade pesto if you prefer, try this red pesto recipe from Erren's Kitchen.
• Pasta - You can use any pasta you like for this, I use Mezzi Rigatoni which is shorter than regular Rigatoni. Mezzi Rigatoni is great with thick creamy sauces, the sauce can get inside the pasta and stick to the ridges.
• Spinach - Young or baby spinach is best for this dish, and fresh is best.  But you can use frozen spinach if you need to. Just defrost it first.
• Cheese - I use Mascarpone and Pecorino Romano. You can use any other vegetarian parmesan cheese. The Mascarpone is rich and creamy and the Pecorino is nice and salty which helps balance the sauce.
• Sundried Tomatoes - good quality semi-sundried tomatoes from a deli or a jar is fine for this.

🥣 How To Make Red Pesto Pasta

Please see the recipe card below for the full recipe instructions and a full ingredient list.

1. Start by cooking the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Then toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan, and remove the pinenuts when they are golden brown. Set aside until you are ready to use them. Next, add some oil to a large saute pan. Cook the onion until it is translucent and a little spongy. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the red pesto, stir it in, and let it cook for a minute.

2. Next, add the mascarpone, one large tablespoon at a time. Slowly stir that until it melts and you have a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

3. The spinach needs to go in next. I do this in two batches, add half the spinach to the sauce, carefully stir it until it has wilted then repeat with the remaining spinach. You now should have a lovely rich creamy sauce.

4. Add the finely grated pecorino. Stir everything together until the cheese has melted then pour in the pasta water and stir well. Stir in the chopped basil and sliced sundried tomatoes. Finally, add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce and gently mix everything together until all the pasta is coated in the sauce. Top the pasta with the toasted pine nuts and add a couple of leaves of basil. Serve with extra grated pecorino and some freshly ground black pepper.

👩‍🍳 Top Tips

• Pasta - Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions, just make sure to reserve about half a cup of pasta water. This will help to make your sauce and it will help the sauce stick to the pasta. Make sure to cook your pasta al dente, this means to boil the pasta until it's cooked but still firm. When the pasta is tossed in the red pesto sauce it will cook further.
• Red Pesto - to keep this recipe quick and easy I use store-bought red pesto. Try and use a good quality red pesto if you can.
• Mascarpone - I use full-fat mascarpone for this, it really will give you the best results. I have tried it with reduced-fat mascarpone which does work but not as well as the full-fat version.
• Spinach - fresh spinach really is best for this recipe but if you want to use frozen you can, just thaw it before you add it to the sauce.

📖 FAQs

🔄 Variations and Substitutions

• Pasta - You can use any type of pasta for this. I have made this with penne and fusilli too and both work really well. Whole wheat pasta also works well in this recipe.
• Mascarpone - If you can't get mascarpone you can use ricotta instead, it may be a bit grainy. If you want a lighter version of this then omit the mascarpone, you will miss out on that creaminess though!
• Add more veggies - This is a very versatile recipe, you can add more veggies in here if you like, roast courgettes (zucchini) works well as do mushrooms, red peppers and black olives.
• Spice it up - If you're a fan of spicy pasta dishes then you could add some hot red pepper flakes to this to spice it up. I like to add these when the onion is cooked.

🍽 Serve Suggestion

We love this on its own but if you are really hungry you could serve it with some good garlic bread. I usually top it with some extra grated cheese and some extra basil leaves.

🍝 More Tasty Pasta Recipes

If you need more inspiration for your weeknight dinners, then I have some great options for you! This Lemon Garlic Pasta with Kale is fresh and tasty and so easy to make! My Stuffed Shells with Spinach is another great weeknight dinner, it does take a little longer to make but is so worth the time! If you fancy a pasta salad then my Orzo Pasta Salad with pesto is so easy to make and is great for lunch or dinner. Finally, if you have more time you should try my Mushroom Lasagne, one of our favourites!

Even More Tasty Pasta Recipes To Make For Dinner:

*This recipe was first published on TLFB Sept 2019. Updated May 2023 with more information.