Creamy Red Pesto Pasta Recipe -

Pasta with spinach, basil, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts

Creamy Red Pesto Pasta Recipe

Creamy, cheesy red pesto pasta with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. A tasty weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Fusion, Vegetarian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 761kcal

Author Michelle Alston

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion (150g) finely chopped
2 tablespoon pine nuts optional
350 g (4⅓ cups) mezi rigatoni pasta dry weight
3 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press or finely chopped
4 -5 heaped tbsp red pesto
250 g (1 cup )mascarpone
90 g (4 packed cups) fresh young or baby spinach
30 g (¼ cup) pecorino cheese or any vegetarian style parmesan, grated. Plus more for serving.
6 sun-dried tomatoes from a jar
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A small handful fresh basil leaves plus more for serving

Instructions

Cook pasta according to the packet instructions.
Reserve ½ a cup of the cooking water then drain the pasta.
Toast the pine nuts, if using, in a dry skillet over medium heat.
Toss the pine nuts often then turn off the heat once the pine nuts are golden. Remove them from the pan and set aside until you are ready to use them.
Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large saute pan. Add the chopped onion along with a small pinch of salt.
Cook the onion for about 10 - 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent and are a pale yellow colour.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add about 4 - 5 heaped tablespoons of red pesto to the pan and stir well. Cook for a minute.
Next, add the mascarpone to the pan. I add the mascarpone one large tablespoon at a time.
Gently stir in the mascarpone until it has melted down. Repeat until all the mascarpone has been added.
Once the mascarpone has melted start adding the spinach. You will need to do this in batches. Add a handful of spinach at a time to the skillet. Carefully stir it in until it is wilted. Once the spinach has wilted add the remaining spinach and stir until that is wilted too.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Stir in the reserved pasta water. You should have a slightly watery sauce now.
Next, add the grated pecorino cheese, the chopped basil and the sliced sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce stir until the cheese melted.
Check the seasoning now, add more salt if needed.
Then carefully add the cooked and drained pasta into the sauce and stir gently until all the pasta is coated in the sauce.
Finally, scatter the toasted pine nuts over the pasta.
Serve straight away with some extra grated cheese, some freshly ground black pepper and a couple of basil leaves.

Notes

Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on a serving on four.
Pasta - I use Mezzi Rigatoni for this recipe, it's perfect for this creamy sauce and when the sauce collects in the hollow tubes, that's just perfect. Fusilli or penne are also great pasta for this recipe, as is whole wheat pasta.
Red Pesto - To keep this dinner quick and easy I use a store-bought pesto for this recipe. Try and get the best pesto you can, it really does make a difference. We use a vegetarian pesto. If you are looking to make a slightly healthier version of this then I can tell you that low-fat red pesto works well too.
Mascarpone - I use full fat mascarpone but again if you are watching the calories a low fat version will work well too. If you can't get your hands on mascarpone then ricotta works well too but it does result in a slightly grainy sauce.
Pasta Water - I add a half a cup of the water the pasta has cooked in to the sauce. The salty starchy water will help thicken the sauce and help the pasta stick to the sauce.
Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for best results.

Nutrition