Basil pesto made into a beautiful creamy sauce with pasta and sun-dried tomatoes! What could be better?!
Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed! Absolutely perfect recipe for a Mad Monday if you are looking for a very quick and easy meal to make. Gotta love having a Thermomix for those frantic evenings when the kids want dinner NOW!
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Ingredients
- generous handful fresh basil leaves
- 60g parmesan cheese, cubed
- 75g raw nuts (pine nuts/cashews/macadamia or a combination)
- 20g olive oil
- 4 rashers short cut bacon
- 125g sun-dried tomatoes
- 250g thickened cream
- 350g penne pasta
- 450g boiling water from kettle
- pitted kalamata olives
- crumbled feta
Instructions
- Place basil (reserve a few leaves for garnish), parmesan and nuts into TM bowl and chop 3 sec / speed 8.
- Add oil, bacon and sun-dried tomatoes and chop 4 sec / speed 5. Scrape down.
- Add cream and cook 2 mins / 100°C / speed soft / Reverse.
- Add pasta and boiling water and cook 12 mins / 100°C / speed soft / Reverse (refer to recommended cooking time on pasta packet).
- To serve, top with olives, feta and garnish with basil leaves.
Notes
If you have some pre cooked shredded chicken stir through when pasta has finished cooking (the hot pasta will be enough to warm the meat through).
The sauce works well with steamed chicken.
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If you have enjoyed this recipe then please consider leaving a comment. It’s always refreshing to see comments from people that have tried a recipe and found it a success or tweaked it to suit.
Love this variation Leonie! Great work. xx
To make this a vegetarian option, what could I replace the bacon with?
Andrea – the bacon does make it very yummy – however I think it would still be very nice if you just left it out.
Made this tonight. Was similar to the Salami pasta in EDC. But different to become another favourite in our house and one you could serve up to guests. Yum 🙂
Hi Chezford, Thanks for letting us know, it is certainly an easy one to become a family favourite! And also so versatile to spice up when needed.
Yum and so easy to make! I used spelt pasta and added chicken to the mixture after cooking too.
Hubby made this for dinner tonight and it was very nice! He tweaked it a bit, adding a couple of chillies and some shallots in step 1 and substituting plain yoghurt for the cream. We will definitely be making this again.
Love to hear of the “blokes” getting into the kitchen to cook. I think I might have to try those tweaks to Liz!
Have made this a few times now and always a hit! Can’t go wrong with it. I added in some cooked chicken for extra protein. 🙂
Pleased you enjoyed it Kylie – yes we love it with chicken as well if I have some on hand. 🙂
Another favourite for us. Quick and easy, always a hit.
Thanks Jill. I love quick and easy recipes too! 🙂
Oh my I just made this and it was almost black… nothing like your delicious picture, do you have any idea why?
oh no! 🙁 Sorry I don’t have any idea! Wondering though was your basil fresh or frozen as it can go black when it’s frozen.