How to Make Creamy Pesto Sauce for Pasta
Pesto is derived from a Latin word ‘Pestle’, which is a tool used to grind a mixture of cheese, olive oil, ground basil leaves, salt and garlic. There are many ways to make creamy pesto sauce and it varies with the type of nuts and vegetables you use. Pesto is mostly used as a sauce on pasta and is very delicious.
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: sauce for three servings of pasta
Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil: 1 tablespoon
Shallot: 1 finely chopped
Garlic cloves: 2 minced
All-purpose flour: 2 ½ tablespoons
2% Milk: 1 ½ cup
Kosher salt: ½ tablespoon
Freshly ground black pepper: to taste
Basil pesto either homemade or store bought: ¼ cup
Instructions
-
1
Heat olive oil
First you need to heat one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Take a large skillet and apply medium to medium-high heat for this purpose. -
2
Add shallot
Next you need to add one finely chopped shallot. You are required to cook it for almost five minutes and reduce the stove heat to medium. Continue cooking until the shallot softens. Remember to stir while cooking. -
3
Add garlic cloves
You need to add two minced garlic cloves after cooking the shallot. Keep stirring as you cook the garlic for a minute. -
4
Fluff up the flour
Whisk the flour into the large skillet containing the shallot, garlic and oil. You need to add two and half tablespoons of flour and then cook for a minute. -
5
Add milk
Now add milk in the large skillet and bring it to a gentle simmer. You are required to continue whisking it until the sauce becomes thick. Remember to bring the heat to low and simmer for a minute as you whisk the milk. -
6
Add pesto and season with salt and pepper
After whisking milk, add ¼ cup of pesto to the sauce. Continue stirring over low heat while adding the pesto. You can season to taste with salt and pepper. -
7
Serve
Now you can serve the creamy pesto sauce with the pasta of your choice. To further liven up the taste, you can add shavings of Parmesan cheese on the top.
