Creamy Pesto Pasta

This is a super simple recipe, I made it last night. This was really good and very useful for those nights when you really don't have a clue as to what to make !

I made my own pesto sauce. You could also use the store bought sauce, I have tried both and I prefer the home made one because the store bought one has preservatives.

The recipe is as follows :

Prep Time - 5 mins
Cooking time - 20 mins

Ingredients :

For pesto sauce :

Fresh basil - 1 cup
Pine nuts - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 4 medium sized pods
Asiago cheese - 1/2 cup, grated , ( I bought 6 months aged cheese )
Extra virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup
Ground black pepper - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

For alfredo sauce :

Butter - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup + ( optional )1/4 cup
All purpose flour - 1 tbsp
Asiago cheese - 1/2 cup, shredded

Pasta - I used ribbed penne , you can also use capellini or farfalle
Carrot - 1 medium sized, shredded length wise

Procedure :

Cook your pasta al dente and keep aside.

Also Asiago cheese can be replaced by parmesan cheese , as the aged asiago cheese tastes similar to parmesan. But next time I would prefer using fresher asiago cheese over the aged one ( due to its pungent odor ).

Pesto sauce :

In a food processor, blend together basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, and cheese into a fine paste. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Add salt and pepper and stir.

Alfredo sauce :

In a medium sized pan melt butter on medium heat. Add in the flour and stir with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Slowly add milk , whisking constantly and cook till it starts too thicken (Let the sauce thicken to your liking, I cooked it till it had the consistency of say condensed milk). Add cheese and mix properly and now your alfredo sauce is done.

Turn the heat to low and add in the required amount of pesto sauce. I added about 4-5 tbsp of pesto sauce. Mix properly.

 

Pour this sauce over hot pasta, add the shredded carrots and mix. Serve with Italian bread or French baguette.