This creamy pesto pasta recipe is the perfect mix of comfort food and elevated flavor. It’s quick and easy to make for a busy weeknight dinner, but the combination of basil pesto, Parmesan, and a silky cream sauce gives it a rich, fresh flavor that feels a little more special. Plus, the whole dish comes together in about 30 minutes!
Similar to my Creamy Vegetable Pasta Recipe, Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta, and Chicken Broccoli Ziti, this pasta recipe is creamy, flavorful, family-friendly, and easy to customize with chicken or vegetables.
Quick Look: Creamy Pesto Pasta
- ⏳️ Ready in: 30 minutes.
- 🧑Serves: 4 people
- 🍽 Calories: ~600 calories per serving.
- ♥️ Why you will love it: It’s creamy, comforting, and full of fresh pesto flavor, yet easy enough to make on a busy weeknight. It comes together in about 30 minutes with simple ingredients and creates a rich, satisfying pasta dinner that feels a little special without much effort. It’s also easy to customize with chicken or vegetables, which makes it a reliable family-friendly meal you can make again and again.
- 🥣 Flavor profile: The pesto gives it a fresh basil-forward flavor with a little garlic and nuttiness, while the Parmesan adds salty, savory richness. The cream sauce makes everything smooth and mellow, so the overall taste is cozy, balanced, and flavorful without being too sharp or heavy.
- 🎯 Best paired with: I love to serve it with some chicken, like Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs or Cast Iron Chicken Breast, and with some vegetables, like Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan.
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Delish! My kids said this was better than Olive Garden, lol. Which is a total win. Thanks for an easy dinner recipe we will use over and over!
– Jessica
Why This Recipe Works
This creamy pesto pasta recipe works because it combines a simple homemade cream sauce with pesto for a dinner that tastes restaurant-worthy without requiring much effort.
- The butter-and-flour roux creates a smooth, velvety base.
- Basil pesto adds concentrated flavor fast.
- Fresh Parmesan makes the sauce richer and more savory.
- The recipe uses simple ingredients but still feels comforting and elevated.
It’s also flexible. You can keep it simple for a meatless dinner or add cooked chicken (like my Lemon Chicken Cutlets) and vegetables (Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables) to turn it into a fuller meal.
Key Ingredients
- Pasta. Short pasta shapes like pipe rigate, penne, fusilli, or rotini work especially well here because they hold onto the creamy pesto sauce. If you only have spaghetti, it will also work.
- Basil pesto. Since pesto is one of the main flavors in this creamy pesto pasta recipe, use one you really like. Homemade is wonderful, but a good-quality store-bought pesto is perfect for a quick dinner.
- Milk. Whole milk keeps the sauce creamy without making it too heavy. If you want a richer result, you can replace part of the milk with heavy cream.
- Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly and gives the sauce a better texture than pre-grated cheese. It also adds the salty, nutty finish that balances the pesto well.
Substitutions and Additions
This recipe is easy to adapt depending on what you have in the kitchen.
- Add cooked chicken for a heartier dinner. (you can use my Cast Iron Chicken Breast)
- Stir in vegetables like spinach, peas, broccoli, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.
- Swap part of the milk for heavy cream if you want the sauce richer. In my Creamy Vegetable Pasta, I like to mix heavy cream with chicken stock, that creates even deeper flavor while keeping the sauce nice and creamy.
How to make Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Step 1: In a large pot, bring water to boil and generously season with salt. Cook pasta according to the instructions until al-dente. When done, drain the liquid and set the pasta aside.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt 3 tbsp butter, then add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour. Whisk it together and let it cook for about a minute or until everything is well incorporates and the mixture starts to bubble.
- Step 2: Add 3 cups milk, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, and ½ tsp garlic powder.
- Stir and cook on low/medium heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Make sure to stir every few minutes, so the bottom of the skillet doesn’t burn.
- Step 3: Then add ⅓ cup basil pesto and ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir well until combined.
- Step 4: When the sauce thickens and coats a spoon, add precooked pasta and fold it in. Let it cook together for a couple of minutes to bring the flavors together.
Expert Tips
- Salt the pasta water well. This is the first step to making the whole dish more flavorful.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. It will continue to soften slightly once it’s mixed with the sauce.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan. It melts better and keeps the sauce smoother.
- Stir the sauce often. Cream-based sauces can scorch if left alone too long.
What to serve with it
This creamy pesto pasta is rich, cheesy, and full of basil flavor, so I like serving it with simple sides or easy proteins that balance the sauce without overpowering it.
For an easy veggie side, try Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan or Green Bean Almondine. Both add a fresh, lighter element that pairs really well with the creamy pesto sauce.
If you want to make it a heartier dinner, serve it with Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets or Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies for an easy, family-friendly meal.
Creamy Pesto Pasta FAQs
Creamy sauces naturally thicken as they cool. If the pasta starts to feel too thick, stir in a splash of milk or a little warm water to loosen the sauce before serving or reheating.
You can, but it’s best served fresh. If you make it ahead, the sauce will thicken in the refrigerator, so plan to reheat it gently with a bit of milk to bring back the creamy texture.
Cooked chicken is one of the best add-ins because it makes the meal more filling without overpowering the pesto flavor. I love to serve it with Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs or Cast Iron Chicken Breast. Shrimp also works well if you want a seafood option.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of milk or water so the sauce becomes smooth again.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
If you make this creamy pesto pasta recipe, I’d love for you to leave a rating and comment below. Your feedback helps other readers and gives them useful tips before they try the recipe themselves.
Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dried pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to boil and generously season with salt. Cook pasta according to the instructions until al-dente. When done, drain the liquid and set the pasta aside.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt 3 tbsp butter, then add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour. Whisk it together and let it cook for about a minute or until everything is well incorporates and the mixture starts to bubble.
- Add 3 cups milk, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, and ½ tsp garlic powder.
- Stir and cook on low/medium heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Make sure to stir every few minutes, so the bottom of the skillet doesn’t burn.
- Then add ⅓ cup basil pesto and ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir will until combined.
- When the sauce thickens and coats a spoon, add precooked pasta and fold it in. Let it cook together for a couple of minutes to bring the flavors together.
Notes
- Salt the pasta water generously for better overall flavor.
- Cook the pasta just to al dente so it doesn’t get too soft in the sauce.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly than pre-grated cheese.
- Stir the sauce often so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the skillet.
- If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of milk when serving or reheating.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
We love pasta anyday, one of the most comforting food. Addition of pesto in creamy pasta is something new to me. Can’t wait to make it again.
Adding basil pesto to the creamy sauce is a dream come true. You nailed it with this pasta recipe.I cannot wait to make it again.
You definitely wouldn’t have to ask twice if we would like some pasta. Love the creaminess, and all that flavor, and Pesto is such a wonderful flavor elevator. Well done! ❤️
I made this delightful recipe, and it was an instant hit with everyone who tried it. The creamy sauce, made with a luscious blend of basil pesto, and cream, coated the pasta beautifully,
Delish! My kids said this was better than Olive Garden, lol. Which is a total win. Thanks for an easy dinner recipe we will use over and over!
Love this way of making pesto pasta, so creamy and delicious and easy to make!
I had some fresh basil so I added some chopped basil to the pasta and it was incredible.
Two of my favorites combined- creamy sauce and pesto. This is a delicious meal to make this season with the abundance of fresh basil now in the garden. So easy too! Making this for dinner tonight ;D
We loved this pasta for dinner! It was so flavorful, extra comforting, and such an easy dish to whip up. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent! I was looking for an easy pasta recipe to make for dinner tonight and this was it. I had a lot of garden basil to use up and some milk that was nearing the expiry. We had it with shrimp and it was so satisfying!