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Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

•March 13, 2012
★★★★★5.0 from 5 reviews
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This dreamy Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce is comfort food at its finest. So many amazing flavors come together in this easy homemade pasta dish!Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

So excited to share this delicious Pasta with Homemade Pesto Cream Sauce with you today!

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Guess who’s got a new cookbook coming out today?? It’s Ree, the fabulous Pioneer Woman! Her new cookbook Food From My Frontier is packed with more of her famous “simple, scrumptious, and step-by-step” recipes we’ve all come to know and love, and it’s available in stores and online today.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

A few weeks ago Ree was so kind as to send Kevin and me, along with a several other food bloggers, an early copy of her new book. You might have seen it on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds. I was just a little excited to get my hands this book and go through all the new recipes!

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

I love the fun, colorful coordinated pages and sections. Each recipe category has a different color, and each new section has a recipe listing to go with it. Makes browsing and finding recipes a breeze!

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Because we all love Ree so much, and in honor of her new book, a few of us decided to get together and throw Ree a virtual book launch party, highlighting our favorite recipes from her new book. I, of course, had to choose a pasta dish! A beautiful, mouth-watering, perfect for dinner pasta dish…

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Hello, lover. This is Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce, and it is one of my favorite easy, weeknight dinners! I absolutely love this flavorful pasta topped with hot rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This dreamy homemade pesto made with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts is a cinch to whip up, even on busy weeknights. But you can also make it ahead of time, meaning all you have to do to get this delicious meal on the table is heat up the cream and butter and chop up the chicken. You could have this hearty dinner ready in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Just a few simple ingredients here. Thankfully I was able to find everything at my grocery store — which is not always the case! Now it’s time to get serious. Let’s make this gorgeous pasta!

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

How to Make Perfect Pesto Pasta

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt, then add the pasta of your choice. We love fettuccine around here.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Now it’s time to get to the business of grating this lovely, fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. This is a great upper body workout, by the way. If you want those long and lean, slender and fabulous (not flab-ulous) arms, I recommend a regimen of grating Parmigiano-Reggiano every day.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Now add 3/4 cup packed basil leaves to the workbowl of a food processor.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Three tablespoons of pine nuts.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Two garlic cloves, peeled.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

And salt and pepper to taste. A half teaspoon kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper each is just right for us.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Yum!! My kitchen smells heavenly right now.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Process this while slowly drizzling in 1/3 cup of olive oil, and you have this gorgeous pesto. Meanwhile, all you have to do is heat up some cream and butter in a saucepan on the stove, pour in the pesto, add the drained noodles, and you have…

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

This.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

This perfect, decadent pasta with creamy, dreamy, pesto cream sauce.

Pioneer Woman Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipe

Top it with hot, crisp rotisserie chicken and you have a fabulous, easy weeknight meal. We love, love, love this pasta!

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Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 minutes
  • Total Time: 18 minutes
  • Yield: 6 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

This dreamy Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce is comfort food at its finest. So many amazing flavors come together in this easy homemade pasta dish!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper, each
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 12 oz fettuccine pasta

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil, then add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 12 ounces pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside. Meanwhile, make the pesto.
  2. To the workbowl of a food processor, add basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic cloves, and salt and pepper. Process while slowly drizzling in olive oil. Next add the cream and butter to a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat. Pour in the pesto, stir until well combined, and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and stir until melted and combined.
  3. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and gently stir together. At this point you can either plate and top with hot rotisserie chicken, or if your chicken is already chopped and is cold from the fridge, go ahead and add it to the pasta and stir together for 2 minutes to heat up the chicken.

Keywords: quick and easy dinner, pesto pasta, pesto pasta with chicken, chicken pesto pasta, pesto pasta recipe, creamy pesto pasta, creamy pesto, easy pasta dish, best pasta dish

Book Launch Party!

Here’s a round-up of all the other bloggers participating in the virtual Book Launch Party for Ree. Take a peek at all the delicious recipes and treats they’re highlighting! Ree has also graciously offered giveaways to these lovely blogs as well, so check them out for seven more chances to win!

Bev Cooks – Chicken Tortilla Soup
I am Baker – Coffee Cream Cake
Picky Palate – Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
She Wears Many Hats – Iced Coffee
Two Peas and Their Pod – Restaurant Style Salsa
What’s Gaby Cooking – Knock you Naked Brownies
Food For My Family – Food from My Frontier: A Giveaway

Thanks so much to Gaby at What’s Gaby Cooking and Amy at She Wears Many Hats for organizing and putting this party and giveaway together!

A Giveaway (Winners Announced!)

Because she is so incredibly sweet and generous, and because she loves ya ;) Ree would like to offer a personalized copy of her new book to three (3) Kevin & Amanda readers. She will personally sign it and mail it off to you herself!

To be entered to win, all you have to do is answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

What’s your favorite Pioneer Woman recipe?

Oh my goodness, am I going to have so much fun reading your replies!! :) So much deliciousness in one post.

Contest ends Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 8 pm CST. One entry per person, please. Winners will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email. Giveaway provided by The Pioneer Woman.

 

Time’s Up!

The winners of The Pioneer Woman Cookbook Giveaway are:

#1038 Steffanie Peck — ” Her pot roast!”

#1251 Brenda — “Love the Spicy Pop Pulled Pork!”

#2491 Kelly R. — “I have loved all of her recipes that I’ve tried, but my favorites have got to be her Malted Chocolate Chip cookies and her Fried Chicken. Yummy!”

Congratulations, winners! I’ve sent ya’ll an email.

 

Congrats on your new book, Ree! Happy Book Launch Day!

 

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3,204 Responses
  6. Andrea

    This dish looks delicious! However, do you have a suggestions for a substitute for pine nuts? We have a nut allergy in the house so I’m trying to think of something that could work instead. TIA

  9. meg

    Just found you! Hope it isn’t considered stalking, but I’ll be hanging out here a LOT! Love it here.

  10. Jackie

    Just wanted to say how much I love everything about your show and the blog, the recipes are wonderful, fresh and of course yummy……………..

    jackie

  11. Nicole

    This looks devine!
    So sad I missed the giveaway.
    I just found Ree’s website a couple months ago so I haven’t tried a lot of recipes…YET! I made a really really spicy beef stew type thing that was delish! I’ve printed so many of her recipes just waiting to be cooked!

    I have to say I also love your website, I found it threw Ree’s. I LOVE your boston terriers, my exbf has one and I was more in love with the dog then him. Is that bad? haha Can’t wait to buy her book and get cooking!

  18. Deborah Stolte

    My Daughter in Law got me hooked on the PW and I am a forever fan! Can’t wait to surprise her with a copy of the new cook book so I will just have to order her’s but I sure hope too win one for myself in the process!

  22. Amy's blah, blah, blogging

    Lately it’s been the MM sandwich, but the prune cake and the dulce de leche cake are phenomenal. Yum! Oh, and she has the little berry tart/muffin kind of things that are so good, it’s ridiculous. Mmmmm……

  30. Shelia in TX

    I’m going with the Knock You Naked Brownies. But what’s there NOT to like that she cooks. Hey, BTW hope I win her book here…I never win over there!!! hahaha And thanks for the opportunity. :)

  36. Ollie B

    Well, my sweet tooth is as big as the Grand Canyon, and rules my decisions; so it’s the Knock You Naked Brownies. Everything is scrumptious.. yummmy for my tummmy.

    This is one cookbook I will add to my collection.

  39. Christina

    I’ve only made “egg-in-the-hole,” but it was delicious! I would love to try some of her recipes. This pasta looks great, might have to make this one!!

  52. hello haha narf (becky)

    meatloaf! i am just now, at 40, teaching myself to cook with ree’s first cookbook and website. her meatloaf gave me the confidence that i can do it.

  54. NebraskaNancy

    I LOVE her Perfect Iced Coffee!

    The only thing I do differently is use iced cubes made of leftover coffee, so there’s less dilution! YUM!

  56. Ashlan Clements

    So hard to choose! I’d have to go with her Sour Cream Noodle Bake. And for something sweet definitely cinnamon rolls! Made them at Christmas and they were a hit!

  57. Amy

    My favortie PW recipe is ‘the perfect coffee cake’ recipe. Every time I make it I get soooooooooo many compliments! My MIL demands it inlieu of regualr cake for her birthday every year :)

  58. BethP

    Knock you naked brownies. NO! Iced coffee. Or green bean casserole. Or chicken parm. OR this very pasta you mentioned! Oh…lemon blueberry pancakes. No, the cinnamon rolls. Pulled pork. CHICKEN POT PIE. Oh, who could pick? EVERY one we’ve tried has been to die for!

  62. Shannon Gallman

    I love Ree’s Knock You Naked Brownies (decadent, rich, oh-so-scrumptious!), but from what I can gather from the other comments I really need to try her cinnamon rolls ASAP.

  68. Marcie

    Penne Al La Betsy – my husband loves this one – but he always messes up the name – Betsy A Penne, La Betsy Penne – it’s funny but gotta love that he tries

  69. Janet

    I have never gone wrong with any of PW’s recipes but my favorite would have to be her sandwich. Divine!

  74. lilly

    i don’t fried often but the chicken steak fry is my all time favotite…my mouth is watering now :)

  75. Lori

    The Creamy Cheese Grits with Chiles are amazing! Didn’t ever know grits could be that good until I made that recipe.

  78. kristin t

    Cinnamon Rolls by far! I made them for the first time this year and they are officially now my “go to” roll recipe! Yum!

  87. Mercedes

    Her cinnamon rolls look fabulous, but the pasta you made also looks like it is right up my alley! Thanks for the giveaway!

  89. susanna

    omg! where do i start? i’ve gone through her first cookbook and can’t wait to eat more!! jalapeno poppers are amazing. marlboro man’s fav sandwhich can’t be beat. and the list goes on…….:)

  91. Shelby C.

    I love her meatloaf!! That’s saying something because I am NOT a fan of any kind of meatloaf, but hers is amazing!

  104. Fara

    I LOVE Ree’s salsa recipe!…but last night, I made her pork chops with pineapple fried rice and it was absolutely delicious!!!

  105. Margie Lauver

    I forgot that I had made her Dr. Pepper pulled pork. There were no leftovers after two days. It was sooo good.

  106. Sandra

    You do realize it’s totally unfair to ask for a favorite, don’t you? I could post a different one every half hour between now and when the contest ends, but then I’d be disqualified. :-( So lets say the cinnamon rolls for now.

  109. Angie mullins

    I never miss her show on Sat mornings. I think the red velvet sheet cake…or maybe chicken spaghetti.

  115. Mraney

    Your going to make me pick?? That’s not very nice of you, but if I HAVE to it would probably be Strawberry Shortcake Cake….YUM!

  121. Devon

    Beef with Snow Peas! I actually just made it last night! Though I can’t say that I’ve ever been disappointed with a PW recipe…

  123. Carol S

    This year for Thanksgiving I made her Pecan Pie (actually 2 of them) for the big family eating frenzy. Well, guess who had to make them for our return frenzy at Christmas? Yep, that would be me ….. but thanks to Ree’s step by step, I Nailed it!!!

  125. colleen from nc

    I luv the whole tenderloin..no wait mm favorite sandwich…no wait mashed potatoes. oh i can’t do this i luv em all. please enter me anyways k:)

  130. Cindy

    I have now made her Pasta with Whiskey Wine and Mushrooms a couple times for my family, and I love it more each time! Though her cinnamon rolls certainly compete with this recipe…

  133. Trina

    Just gotta love all of her recipes!! Very talented lady and it has been great to learn of you all too…look forward to reading your posts in the future.

  141. Mary Frances Ellison

    We love Ree’s “Crash Hot Potatoes” – so simple and yet, so absolutely wonderful! And she’s absolutely right … it’s all about maximizing the crispy, crunchy surface area!

  157. MegjgeM

    I love her Deep Dish Fruit Pizza recipe!! The tang of cream cheese and marshmellow fluff is amazing :-)

  164. Becky

    Seriously? You’re going to make me pick ONE? Geesh…. I’ll go with the pecan pie w/ whiskey glaze, only because it was the first thing to pop into my head!

  165. Kim R

    HUGE fan of her blackberry cobbler – came out absolutely perfect the first time I made it. And a great way to use up fresh berries!

  171. Lesa

    I can’t decide – but, probably make the cinnamon rolls the most (including the chocolate chip version!).

  173. Tami V.

    So many amazing recipes, cinnamon rolls, iced coffee, her take on smores, and the banana boats… amazing. :o) Not to mention Marboro Man’s breakfast sandwiches. Mmmm!

  175. Julie in Nova Scotia

    I am a terrible cook and baker but had great success with her citrus butter cookies! I took them to work and everyone loved em!

  181. Rebecca

    I love her lasagna, my husband loves it, my kids love it, my older step-sons love it. I make it all the time!

  187. pvfrompv

    any of the pizza recipes especially CPK’s bbq chicken, the restaurant salsa, the chocolate sheet cake, oh just about anything she posts…

  191. The M Half

    This is nearly impossible to answer. I thought I knew until I read this post. Can I change my mind?! Pesto sauce!

  203. Sharon in Aldie, VA

    Hard to choose, but my family loves her Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika… it’s heart warming.

  210. Sil

    Love love love the asian chicken wings, we made these for superbowl sunday and I don’t think we made enough!! Just saying!

  216. Kim S

    well…since i can’t think of one…i obviously need her cookbook because i don’t make enough of them! :D

  223. Meegs

    I adore pesto… so this one is in my top 5 for sure. I also love her Sherried Tomato Soup. And a score of others!

  226. Kathy

    I love the French Breakfast Puffs,Enchiladas, And Chicken Pot Pie. But my men in the house loved the chicken fried steak!

  227. Carla K

    Brussel sprouts with balsamic vinegar and dried cranberries – so very easy and it looks so fancy – delicious!

  229. Adrian Johanson

    Her perfect iced coffee helped me get through the last few months of my pregnancy (late summer…ugh). Love it!

  230. Chevas

    I love the make-ahead-breakfast muffins!!! Also love the fact that it can double as an egg salad sandwich!!

  232. Tracy G

    Ree has so many great recipes that are absolutely great. I mentioned frequently the Sloppy Joes but I use the Smash Potatoes receipe a lot too. Yum

  233. kellie

    her pot roast and mashed potatoes (its on the menu for family dinner this sunday) and her lasagna, and her chocolate cake, and her… well enything!

  234. Janelle C.

    I’ve made the Sour Cream Noodle Bake recipe a few times and also have made it as a gift for a family with a new baby. We love it!

  246. Alice H

    Thanks for the giveaway! My go-to recipes of Ree’s is the Restaurant-style SALSA and Italian Drip Beef.

  251. Kimberly

    My very favorite …HMMMMM….Steak bites? Chicken Parmesan? New York style Chopped Salad (which is lunch today)? How about all of the above!

  253. debbie k

    It changes every time I see a different blog about one of her recipes! Right now it is the Perfect Iced Coffee. We are having unseasonably warm weather in Chicago.

  257. Charlee B.

    It’s so hard to pick a favorite…. I love her linguini with clam sauce, her cinnamon rolls, her steakhouse pizza…. the list goes on….. :)

  260. Sandy C

    I love about everything I have tried. But we really enjoy her Texas Sheet Cake. I got her other cookbook for Christmas. I just love everything about her.

  264. Sharon

    Her cinnamon rolls are pure decadence – and love – on a plate! Love that recipe and many, many others!

  265. jackie onecreativecat

    Her Green bean casserole if FABULOUS!! I could eat it every day but then I would have to live on my treadmill!

  266. Cindy

    The only PW recipe I’ve tried so far (and I truly mean SO FAR :->) is the beef pot roast. Of course it was delicious and it was so nice to just KNOW that it would be, even as I was preparing it!
    Thanks Ree, and thank you for connecting us to all of these wonderful food bloggers as well!

  270. Shelley W.

    I ‘heart’ all her recipes, but one of the favorites in my house is her Chicken Spaghetti! mmm mmm mmm……

  271. Jami

    I love “make your skirt fly up” and “knock you naked”. She is so funny, she just brightens my day.

  278. Jamie from IL

    I love her recipe for Pasta with Mushrooms in White Wine/Whiskey Cream Sauce. It’s wonderful!!!!!

  281. Jami

    Wow! It’s hard to point to just ONE of her recipes I love. Recently, though, I am totally addicted to her Whiskey Barbecue Sliders. I could eat a hundred of them!

  287. CateS

    It would be easier if you asked if there was something that we didn’t like… The cakes, the cinnamon rolls, the pasta, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes.. … Ok, ok… I pick……..drum roll……….. the mashed potatoes!!!

  307. Sarah

    So many to choose from, but I would have to go with her Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce…it’s a life changer.

  308. Shelli C.

    I love Ree’s Restaurant Salsa. I make up a big batch and the kids and I snack on it all week. Her cinnamon rolls are my favorite sweet recipe.

  312. Erin

    Love the Cranberry Nantucket Pie! I baked three of these for Thanksgiving this past year, and I’ve already had requests for more! :)

  313. Leigh A.

    My favorite is what the family EATS! So far, most of the recipes have done very well in my household. But one of the biggest hits are the “Wings”.

  316. Leah

    Chocolate sheet cake. I somehow end up making most of the birthday and celebration cakes for family and friends. This cake is always a hit.

  322. Weasie

    Cheddar grits and beef in chipolte adobo sauce…I really thought the guy I was making it for was going to run out, buy a diamond ring, and propose after 3 weeks.

  325. Pat Potter

    New favorite is the Steak Bites from last Saturday’s show. I have fixed them three times already. Quick, easy and absolutely Delicious!!
    Thanks,
    Pat Potter – NC Coast

  330. Adeline

    I’m in love with her cinnamon rolls! Although that creamy pasta recipe looks seriously delicious too…

  333. Pam D.

    My whole family loves Ree’s recipe for the Marlboro Man Sandwich, PW Style! It is delicious and sooo filling!

  342. Kristin @ eat healthy. be happy. live well.

    I’ve made her hard sauce for bread pudding and it is out of this world!!!

  344. Gina Morrison

    My family has approved of every PW recipe I have tried, but I make her Chicken Strips and Pot Roast very often. I love her!

  357. Arnnette

    Thank you for this chance to win. I have her first book autographed when she came to Tempe,AZ I would likea chance to win the next cookbook n autographed too:) This might sound simple, bot kids love t ‘egg in the hole’. But you can’t go wrong woth any of Ree’s recipes.

  363. Tia H

    I just borrowed her first cookbook from the library and haven’t had a chance to try any of the recipes out yet. But this weekend I’ll be making the egg-in-the-hole and soon, very soon, the cinnamon rolls. But they all look so great, it’d be hard to pick just one favorite.

  369. Jessica N.

    There’s so many to choose from – picking only one seems unfair! My household can’t get enough of her chicken fried steak!

  371. Pat N Fl

    one of my favorites is also one of the easiest ones, which is individual berry cobbler. It is the perfect thing to make at the last minute to take to a brunch or breakfast gathering. I love it because I can mix it up, pur in the oven and then go take my shower and they are ready at the same time I am.

  376. Tran

    I haven’t made any recipe from the book since I don’t have it yet but the pork chops with Sriracha sauce sounds really good since I just discovered that I love Sriracha sauce!

  378. debbi

    for me, the best is sigrid’s coffee cake. but for a meal, it’s a tie between the asian style salad and the artichoke tomato pasta.

  380. Simran

    my favorite favorite is the “best lasagna ever” … because it is the lightest tastiest and easiest lasagna to make … ever. I got it from her site.

  381. Amber

    I loved her recipe for Sunny Side Up Eggs and Steak Bites. I have never been able to make perfect eggs and this was great. However I am making Flat Apple Pie this weekend so it may beat it.

  386. Deborah

    Latest favorite recipe…Ladd’s birthday cake! I’ve got a thing for chocolate, and that’s my kind of chocolate :)

  390. Rosie

    Oh that’s a tough one. I’ve made many a delicious PW recipe but given how many times I’ve made her cinnamon rolls, I think that’s gotta be my answer.
    Though that pesto looks good enough to give the cinnamon rolls a run for their money.
    :)

  398. Callie

    My latest favorite is her Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. I made one for a superbowl party and I’m making one again tomorrow to share with family. :)

  400. Jennifer Bandy

    So many great recipes to choose from, but I would have to say her Restaurant Style Salsa. Only because I make it about every other week! It is THE BEST!

  403. Norma in NC

    I like it all but I make the Restuarant Style Salsa all the time…minus some jalepeno! Love the Chicken Spaghetti and Sesame noodles…it’s all so good- hard to pick a favorite. Can’t wait to see the new book.