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Easy 10-Minute Creamy Pesto Pasta - An Oregon Cottage
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Easy 10-Minute Creamy Pesto Pasta

This fast and nutritious 10-minute recipe brings a restaurant-quality dinner to your home kitchen. By combining high-quality basil pesto with silky heavy cream, you create a rich, flavorful sauce that perfectly coats al dente noodles. It is an ideal solution for busy weeknights, utilizing pantry staples like turkey bacon for a savory, crispy crunch. Simple, efficient, and delicious, this dish is designed for home cooks who value bold flavors without the complexity of traditional cooking methods.
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: DINNER
Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound penne or fusilli pasta
  • 0.5 cup basil pesto
  • 0.3 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 4 slices turkey bacon, crisped and crumbled
  • Salt for pasta water

Method
 

  1. Boil a large pot of salted water.
  2. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
  3. Reserve 0.5 cup of pasta water before draining.
  4. In a warm skillet over low heat, whisk together the basil pesto and heavy cream.
  5. Stir in the reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
  6. Fold the cooked pasta into the skillet until evenly coated.
  7. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and crispy turkey bacon crumbles.
  8. Serve immediately while warm and glossy.

Notes

Reserve pasta water as the starch helps the sauce bind to the noodles. For a dairy-free version, substitute heavy cream with coconut milk. Ensure turkey bacon is fully crisped for the best texture contrast.