Creamy Pesto Pasta
Creamy Pesto Pasta is bright, bold, and decadent. The most flavorful weeknight meal that comes together in just 20 minutes!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Light Pesto Sauce (see above)
- 10 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta (whatever shape you like)
- 1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (or use 1 pound diced chicken breast)
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
- optional garnishes: sliced cherry tomatoes, extra lemon slices, shredded basil, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Make sure you reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, blend together the sauce. Set aside.
- Season shrimp or chicken with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to your taste. Saute over medium-high heat until cooked through. About 2 minutes a side for the shrimp, or 3-4 minutes a side for the chicken.
- Over low heat, toss together cooked pasta, pesto sauce, half and half, and protein. Cook until everything is just heated through, about 2 minutes. Add in pasta water, just a little bit at a time, until the sauce coats the pasta to your liking.
Notes
Click here to determine your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically). Serving size is 1 1/3 cup. Calculation includes half and half.
WW Green SmartPoints: 8 for 1 1/3 cup; 7 SP a serving if you omit the half and half.
WW Blue SmartPoints: 7 for 1 1/3 cup; 6 SP a serving if you omit the half and half.
WW Purple SmartPoints: 3 for 1 cup 1/3 cup; 2 SP a serving if you omit the half and half.