Pesto from a jar can be improved, and once you know how easy it is, you will upgrade it every time you make it. Just a few ingredients — cream, butter (Julia Child would approve) and Parmesan cheese — and you’ve got what is quite possibly the best meal to come (almost entirely) from the pantry in a very long while.
Of course, you could dress this up with some protein or some fresh cherry tomatoes or serve it with a salad created from baby arugula and a lemon vinaigrette. The pepperiness of the greens would contrast nicely with the creaminess of the pasta, all while staying in the same color family. But, the truth is, this pesto pasta is the star of the show, and no one is going to complain about that (even though it took you less than 20 minutes to make).
Quick pesto spaghetti
2
2 minutes
15 minutes
17 minutes
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 jar basil pesto
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon salted butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the box.
Drain the pasta before it reaches al dente, putting about a cup of the the cooking water into a glass measuring cup.
Put a saucepan on the heat, reduce the heat to medium, and add the jar of pesto.
Once the pesto begins to simmer slightly, add the cream and the butter and stir well.
Put the pot with the spaghetti back on the burner on low heat, and add the sauce.
Stir until all the pasta is well-coated in the pesto sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons or so of the cooking water to loosen it up.
Sprinkle liberally with parmesan cheese, and add a bit more of the cooking water to melt the cheese if necessary.
Serve immediately.