Red Pesto Mascarpone Pasta

Red pesto mascarpone pasta. A rich and comforting mid-week dinner idea made with only a few ingredients. Imagine al dente noodles tossed in a creamy sun-dried tomato pesto jazzed up with salty Parmesan. It’s knock-your-socks-off delicious and ready in 20 minutes.

For this pasta sauce you only need a few things: garlic, shallot, a jar of sun-dried tomato pesto, parmesan and mascarpone. That last ingredient is what makes the sauce extra special, it adds richness without making this dinner feel too heavy.

The result is a comforting pasta that will most likely become a go-to recipe that everyone at your table will agree on. Just add a big side salad for a quick and easy meal.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

RECIPE NOTES

• add bacon, rotisserie chicken or meatballs to the sauce
• use any kind of your favorite pasta shape
• add fresh basil
• use store-bought or homemade red pesto
• make it spicy, by adding more red pepper flakes
• serve with a big side salad drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Try These Next

• Smoky Bacon Tomato Sauce Pasta
• Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
• Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Ricotta Pesto
• Creamy roasted pepper and sun dried tomato pasta
• Creamy Red Pesto Chicken

Cooking Video

Yield: serves 4

Red Pesto Mascarpone Pasta

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 350 g/12.5 oz pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt, black pepper, dried sage
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, more for serving
• 200 g/7 oz sun-dried tomato pesto
• 140 g/5 oz mascarpone
• 20 g/¼ cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente. Scoop up 1 cup cooking water. Drain.
2. In the meantime, mince the garlic and finely chop the shallot and parsley.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet, over low. Add garlic and shallot, cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, sage and red pepper flakes. Add red pesto and stir for 1 minute. Add mascarpone, stir until dissolved. Add 1/2 cup of cooking water and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Next, stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add pasta and toss to combine. Add more cooking water, if needed, to create a glossy sauce. Finish off with freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Notes

Calories Per Serving: 531 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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