Creamy Pesto Pasta with Arugula and Tomatoes

Creamy pesto pasta is the perfect weeknight meal. It only takes 5 ingredients and about 20 minutes to get this sophisticated, flavor-packed pasta dish on the table!

Apparently I have a thing for 5 ingredient pasta dishes. I shared one last week and here I am again with another. I can’t myself – pasta is just such an easy way to get dinner on the table!

Creamy pesto pasta looks and sounds sophisticated, but it couldn’t be any simpler to make. With just a few ingredients and less than 30 minutes, you will be enjoying a tasty meal in no time.

Creamy Pesto Pasta with Arugula and Tomatoes

I consider dishes like this good summer-to-fall transition recipes. You can still find good tomatoes, arugula is the perfect fall green, and I always have some homemade pesto hanging out in my freezer. Adding some creaminess takes it to the comfort food level, but it’s still fresh and not too heavy.

The trick to making it creamy? Goat cheese! I’m a huge fan of goat cheese and the tanginess it adds here. When combined with the pesto, it mellows a bit so you won’t necessarily know that you’re eating goat cheese. However, if you really don’t like goat cheese, you can use cream cheese or even heavy cream.

You also don’t have to make homemade pesto if you don’t have any hanging out in your freezer like I do. While I highly recommend homemade pesto, store-bought will work just fine – I’m not trying to make your life harder here!

In the time it takes to boil the pasta, you can gather and prep all of the other ingredients. Toss it all together and boom, you’re eating dinner in no time. Pass me a big bowl and a glass of wine!

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Creamy Pesto Pasta with Arugula and Tomatoes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

 

Creamy pesto pasta is the perfect weeknight meal. It only takes 5 ingredients and about 20 minutes to get this sophisticated, flavor-packed pasta dish on the table!

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Pasta, I like Farfalle, Penne, or Fusilli
• Kosher Salt, for salting the water
• ½ Cup Pesto*
• 4 oz. Goat Cheese*, cut into pieces
• 2 Cups Fresh Arugula, spinach works well too
• 8 oz. Cherry Tomatoes, halved

Optional Garnishes:

• Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Torn Basil Leaves

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Stir in the pasta and cook it until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water.
2. Add the pasta back into the hot pot and toss with the pesto and goat cheese until the pasta is well coated and the goat cheese melts. Add pasta water as needed to make it saucy.
3. Toss in the arugula and cherry tomatoes and let the arugula just start to wilt. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.
4. Serve the pasta topped with lots of parm and torn basil, if desired. Yum!

Recipe Notes

*Homemade or store-bought is fine!

 

*If you don’t like goat cheese, you can substitute cream cheese or even a ½ cup of heavy cream.