For as much as I love every individual ingredient in pesto, combine them all together and it is just a BIG swing and a miss for me.
I’m pretty sure it’s a texture thing. I want it to be creamy! but it is always sort of gritty and I don’t want grit on my pasta.
Basil cream sauce is my solution to the pesto problem. A lot of pesto-esque flavor, but in creamy form.
This is a filling meal on its own, but is also very good with add-ins! Grilled shrimp or chicken, roasted red peppers, or chopped tomatoes jazz things up. And parmesan. Always add more parmesan.
And I need to tell you! This is my ideal meal in the amount of work it takes to make : fanciness ratio. It is basically just blending and cooking noodles and heating dairy products up. It takes maybe half an hour, but feels like a really special dinner.
Basil Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 4 garlic cloves
- 6 ounces parmesan cheese, chopped
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Cook noodles in generously salted water according to package directions.Melt butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add cream to heat.Combine basil, garlic, and parmesan in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add to the pan with the cream and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and stir in noodles. Salt and pepper to taste.
