Pasta with Pesto Sauce and Cream
This is an awesome recipe to use up basil from the garden. I have basil growing on my front porch, in my kitchen, in the raised bed and in my garden. WAY TOO MUCH. I take the basil and make pesto and freeze it into ice trays to save for recipes like this one.
This is an awesome recipe to use up basil from the garden. I have basil growing on my front porch, in my kitchen, in the raised bed and in my garden. WAY TOO MUCH. I take the basil and make pesto and freeze it into ice trays to save for recipes like this one.
- Carbohydrate 37.4902161666667 g
- Cholesterol 111.171616666667 mg
- Fat 36.8995383333333 g
- Fiber 1.01099999833107 g
- Protein 13.1354065 g
- Saturated Fat 15.2861585333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (171g)
- Sodium 548.703233333333 mg
- Sugar 36.4792161683356 g
- Trans Fat 14.79676835 g
- Calories 536 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook pasta per directions on box and drain.
- Heat whipping creme and butter and garlic in saucepan, add parmesan cheese and pesto sauce.
- Then pour on top of pasta and add fresh tomatoes (opt) I only use fresh tomatoes from my garden for this.
- In the winter I don't use tomatoes.
- This is a wonderful side dish.
- I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
- Place basil leaves and garlic and nuts in food processor and pulse until fine, then add olive oil through the shoot until moist.
Adapting the Dairy Base
Swapping heavy whipping cream for half-and-half alters the sauce density significantly. Whole milk fails to emulsify correctly with butter and cheese, yielding a watery liquid instead of a coating sauce. Reduce the dairy gently over medium-low heat to avoid scorching the milk solids. Grating fresh Parmesan cheese rather than using pre-shredded varieties prevents clumping because anti-caking agents disrupt the emulsion.
Controlling Pesto Chemistry
Combining raw garlic with dairy demands careful temperature management. Overheating the garlic compounds releases pungent sulfurous flavors that clash with sweet basil oils. Stir the pesto into the warm cream off the direct burner flame to preserve the bright green herbaceous color. Fresh basil oxidizes quickly when exposed to sustained high heat.
Maximizing Ingredient Value
Preserving leftover pesto requires specific storage windows to prevent rancidity. Refrigerate homemade green sauces in an airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil on the surface for up to five days. Frozen pesto portions last three months without losing aromatic intensity if sealed tightly. Undercooking the pasta by exactly two minutes allows it to absorb the rich sauce fully during the final toss.
