Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipe
This recipe is taken from the 1994 Milk Calendar. This is the Pasta with Creamy Pesto Sauce recipe.
- Prep: 10 min
- Cooking: 20 min
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500 mL) fresh basil or fresh parsley packed
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) pine nuts or walnuts
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Canadian Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (750 mL) Milk
- 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg
- 1 lb (450 g) pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine)
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Preparation
For pesto, combine fresh basil with garlic and nuts in a blender or food processor. Blend until finely chopped. Blend in Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, pepper and olive oil. Reserve.
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add flour. Cook 3 min but do not brown. Add milk. Bring to a boil. Cook gently 5 min. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, nutmeg and reserved pesto mixture. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, cook pasta. Drain. Combine with sauce. Toss well until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Tips
Only fresh herbs should be used in this sauce. If you cannot find fresh basil or parsley, use chopped fresh spinach with the walnuts suggested in the recipe.
You can also substitute 3/4 cup (180 mL) commercial pesto sauce for the first seven ingredients in the recipe.
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Nutritional information
Per serving| Energy: | 554 Calories |
| Protein: | 20 g |
| Carbohydrate: | 74 g |
| Fat: | 20 g |
| Fibre: | 4.9 g |
| Sodium: | 1249 mg |
Top 5 Nutrients
| (% DV*) | |
|---|---|
| Calcium: | 28 % / 312 mg |
| Folate: | 81 % |
| Thiamin: | 44 % |
| Niacin: | 39 % |
| Magnesium: | 36 % |
