Cheesy Pesto Pasta!

Oh my goodness, you guys! I wish you could smell the deliciousness coming out of my kitchen right now!!!

I’m telling you — quarantine is making chefs of us all, isn’t it? That’s definitely a perk to being cooped up!

Alright – so – let’s get right into this cheesy dish, because I can hardly wait to share it with you!

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

I am a sucker for fresh pesto. And I mean, it is so incredibly easy to make. It’s one of those dishes that you can make for people, that is about a 10 on the impressive scale, and a 1.0 on the difficulty scale. So believe me — the payoff is *chef’s kiss.*

Why? Because literally all you have to do is throw everything into the food processor and it does all the work!

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

So anywho – when I was ordering my groceries from Amazon Fresh earlier this week, you best believe that I squealed when I saw the fresh basil.

Because that meant one thing: PESTO!

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

And this recipe is extra cheesy – so get ready!

So grab your forks — it’s time to make this amazing and easy treat!

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

What You Need: (Serves 2)

Pesto:
1 large bunch fresh basil (around 2 cups)
1/4 cup pine nuts (or pistachios or walnuts)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp salt
fresh cracks of black pepper
1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (Vegan option, sub nutritional yeast)

Extra Cheesy Goodness:
4 oz regular cream cheese

Noodle of Choice (I made spiralized zucchini noodles)
2 zucchini

Tools:
Food Processor
Spiralizer
Oven Safe Ramekins
Spatula
Good Chef’s Knife (This is the one I use and love)

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In your food processor, throw your basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process until the pine nuts and garlic are all broken up. Then, slowly drizzle in your olive oil. Finally, add your parmesan cheese and process until incorporated. You will need to scrape the sides several times.

You could stop here and have a bomb-dot-com pesto!

OR you could kick it up a notch with the cream cheese!

To your food processor, add 4 oz (1/2 a block) of cream cheese, and process until the color turns a light, pastel green.

Set aside.

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

Make your noodle of choice – either per package direction on the stove, or by spiralizing zucchini with a spiralizer, mandoline, potato peeler, or simply a really sharp knife.

Then, in a large mixing bowl, mix to coat your noodles with the pesto.

Divide the noodles into two oven safe ramekins. Plave them on a baking sheet. Top with more parmesan cheese, and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, until the cheese is melty.

Let cool for 5 minutes before enjoying!

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

OK WOW!!!!

This was so delicious!! There is something just so spectacular about fresh basil. I’m telling you — the fragrence when you take it out of the fridge and put in the food processor — it has magic powers, I’m serious.

And most pesto recipes don’t call for lemon, but I really like adding lemon to mine. Because the bright *zing* from the lemon matches the bright and fresh quality of the fresh basil. It’s a match made in Heaven. And then add to that the garlic? — Get outta town.

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

But the cheese. OK this should be illegal. All melty, and it just coats the noodles so luxuriously. It takes that bright and fresh pesto, and adds just the right amount of rich and butteriness.

Definitely a treat to behold.

Cheesy Pesto Pasta by BeautyBeyondBones #healthyfood #vegetarian #glutenfree #food #edrecovery #yum

I hope you’re having a great week so far! Happy cooking, and stay healthy!

Hugs, Caralyn

“This is what the Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ez 37:5

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67 responses to “Cheesy Pesto Pasta!”

  1. Mmmm. I tried green pesto for the first time in London back in early the 2000s and I’ve been hooked ever since. Bon appetit 🙂

    Reply

    • thank you so much! isn’t it so delicious? with that freshness mmm! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Thank you so much Carly! oh gosh I do too! so fresh and yummy on literally EVERYTHING!!! haha stay well! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Oh no! Haha thank you so much! I feel you – nothing like slurpy noodles! Haha Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Haha when you people again. Gosh I hope that’s soon! Thanks Paula! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Thank you so much Lisa!! Hope you’re having a good night! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Thank you Timothy!! Oh it was delicious! Haha thanks 🙂 Hugs and love xox

      Reply

  16. “You could stop here and have a bomb-dot-com pesto!” … I don’t know why that cracked me up so much. but it did… as usual this gives me ideas (and yes pesto is so easy people don’t realize, it never re-heats well, at least for me, unfortunately)

    Reply

    • Aw thank you Lesley! Now that the sun’s shining, gotta protect that skin! Haha stay well! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • hahah oh gosh, thank you CF! Believe it or not, when I first moved to New York City, I audition for “The Next Food Network Star!” haha i don’t even know if that show is still on tv, but I was gunning for it! hahahahha stay well! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Hahaha thank you Kelly!!! oh gosh it was FAAAAAABULOUS! stay well! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Thank you Amanda! oh gosh IT WASSSSS!!!!!!! stay well, and i hope oyu’re having a great weekened! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

    • Thank you so much Ab! Oh gosh, the pictures don’t do it justice! haha stay well! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

  29. Oh my green-ness!!! So yummy and of course I love the colors!! <3 I will be trying this recipe very soon. ✔😊 "I’m telling you — quarantine is making chefs of us all, isn’t it? " THIS IS SO TRUE LOL!!! 😂 But it's a good thing though! I finally get to appreciate cooking more. Stay blessed and centered on Christ!

    Reply

    • Hi Tammy! hahahha it really is! We’re all getting super creative!! i love it! stay well! Hugs and love xox

      Reply

  30. Oh my gosh! I’ve been looking for a good pesto recipe! Thanks so much for this! This is the perfect time to try it!
    Oh, I hope you don’t mind me posting this, but I recently started designing Catholic wedding invitations and Unity Candles. We won’t be quarantined forever!
    https://www.zazzle.com/store/a_new_view

    Reply

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