Pasta with Creamy Basil Sauce

This is one of my favorite recipes. I make 1 1/2 times the original amount to serve 4 people. The sauce is creamy but you can make it less creamy if you use milk instead of the half-and-half.

Pasta with Creamy Basil Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 16 ounces penne or tortellini pasta
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 1/4 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh black pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. In a dry skillet, cook the pine nuts over medium heat until lightly browned, shaking the skillet occasionally so as not to burn them. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  2. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions then drain.
  3. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a 1 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook about 10 seconds.
  4. Add the flour – cook, stirring until the flour is absorbed.
  5. Add the half-and-half and the salt. Cook, stirring until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened.
  6. Remove from heat and stir in the basil and grated Parmesan.
  7. Put the pasta and sauce in a large bowl and toss together until all is combined. Grind the pepper on top and toss.

Very very good pasta dish. I found the recipe in a book called 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes.

[amazon_link id=”0025429655″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]1,000 Vegetarian Recipes[/amazon_link]
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