Creamy Pesto Pasta with Crispy Lemon Breadcrumbs Recipe
This creamy pesto pasta features a luscious, quick-to-make sauce combining jarred basil pesto, heavy cream, and butter, perfectly coating your choice of penne pasta or ravioli. Enhanced with chili flakes and topped with zesty, crispy lemon breadcrumbs, it delivers a delightful balance of creamy, spicy, and citrusy flavors in just 12 minutes of total cooking time.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus 30 minutes for ingredients to reach room temperature)
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 200 g penne pasta (or any pasta you prefer)
- 250 g ravioli (optional, if using instead of pasta)
- 40 g unsalted butter (or olive oil)
- 80 g basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 100 g heavy cream (30% fat)
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ¼ tsp salt (add only if needed)
- 30 g pasta water (reserved from cooking pasta/ravioli)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (yellow part only)
- 10 g olive oil (or butter)
- 30 g breadcrumbs
- 5 g grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano)
- ¼ tsp chili flakes (for breadcrumbs)
- ¼ tsp salt (for breadcrumbs)
Instructions
- Prep the Ingredients: Let the pesto, butter, and heavy cream sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to ensure they blend smoothly in the sauce.
- Cook Pasta or Ravioli: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. For pasta, add and cook it 2 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 30 g of pasta water before draining. For ravioli, add to boiling salted water and cook according to package instructions until al dente, stirring gently to avoid sticking, and save some pasta water.
- Make the Sauce: Heat a pan over medium heat (6/9 setting). Melt butter, add ½ tsp chili flakes and stir for 10 seconds. Pour in heavy cream, stirring to combine without boiling. Add pesto and stir until sauce is smooth. Taste and add salt only if necessary.
- Combine Pasta with Sauce: If using pasta, drain (do not rinse) and add to the sauce. Stir well, then add reserved pasta water and mix until sauce coats the pasta evenly.
- Combine Ravioli with Sauce: For ravioli, stir pasta water into the sauce. Gently add cooked ravioli to the pan and carefully stir to coat without breaking them.
- Make Crispy Lemon Breadcrumbs: Zest lemon (yellow part only) and grate Parmesan into a cold bowl. Heat a pan over medium (6/9). Add olive oil, chili flakes, then lemon zest, stirring briefly. Add breadcrumbs and salt, toasting for 5–6 minutes while stirring continuously until golden brown. Remove from heat and immediately transfer breadcrumbs to the cold bowl with Parmesan to stop cooking.
- Serve: Top the creamy pesto pasta or ravioli with the crispy lemon breadcrumbs for a delightfully crunchy, citrusy finish. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Allowing butter, pesto, and cream to reach room temperature helps create a smooth sauce.
- Do not rinse pasta after draining to preserve starch for better sauce adherence.
- Reserve pasta water is essential for adjusting sauce consistency and helping it cling to pasta.
- Be gentle when stirring ravioli to prevent tearing.
- Toast breadcrumbs carefully and transfer immediately to a cold bowl to avoid burning.
- If you prefer a less spicy sauce, reduce or omit chili flakes.
