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White Pesto Pasta

By Kevin

published Nov 20, 2019, updated Jun 01, 2023

5 from 4 votes

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For this White Pesto Pasta all you need are 8 ingredients, 15 minutes and the your new favorite, easy to make pasta sauce recipe will be on the table! Trust me when I say, this White Pesto Pasta recipe will be your new favorite, and everyone will be wanting second helpings!

White Pesto Pasta

I was in the airport recently and read about a white pesto pasta recipe that sounded too good to be true. I knew once I got back home I had to try it. It is FANTASTIC!

Creamy, loaded with 2 different cheeses, walnuts and fresh oregano all minced with garlic, lemon zest and olive oil. It’s just incredible.

This lovely recipe comes from Carla Lalli Music over at Bon Appetit. I made a few tweaks to suit my taste and knew I had to share it with you.

Pesto as we know it, or Pesto alla Genovese, is the delicious Italian pasta sauce made from pounded or ground basil leaves, salt, garlic, ground pine nuts and olive oil. This White Pesto sauce is it’s cousin. 🙂

How to make White Pesto Pasta

• In a small skillet over medium heat toast the walnuts for several minutes. They should give off a n aroma and get lightly brown. Let cool. This step is optional, but it adds a robust walnut flavor. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil.
• Finely chop walnuts and oregano leaves. Mince or grate the garlic and zest the entire lemon. Add all these to a large bowl with the ricotta, Parmesan cheese and season with kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Slowly add the olive oil a tablespoon at a time and vigorously stir to incorporate.
• Cook the pasta for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the reserved pasta water to the white pesto and stir to emulsify. This will be loose, but keep stirring for a minute.
• Drain the pasta and add pasta to the white pesto in bowl and toss to coat. Continue tossing until pesto thickens enough and clings to the pasta, about 2 minutes. Serve with more Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

This white pesto sauce tastes like a dream. The garlic and lemon permeate the cheesy, oregano infused sauce that clings to each pasta piece, bite after bite. This is just an amazing and easy pasta sauce to make.

I taste tested with friends and their kids even loved this. Enjoy!

For other tasty pasta dishes, try my Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole, Brown Butter Bucatini with Walnuts, Pasta with Vodka Sauce, Creamy Beef Pasta or Creamy Chicken Pasta. 🙂

Watch how to make this below!

White Pesto Pasta

5 from 4 votes

For this White Pesto pasta all you need are 8 ingredients, 15 minutes and the your new favorite, easy to make pasta sauce recipe will be on the table! Trust me when I say this, it will be your new favorite and everyone will be wanting second helpings! Adapted from Carla Lolli Music.

Servings: 4

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Total: 15 mins

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup walnuts
• ▢ 2 tsp finely chopped oregano
• ▢ 1 clove garlic finely chopped or grated
• ▢ 1 lemon zest
• ▢ 1 cup fresh ricotta
• ▢ 2 oz finely grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 cups)
• ▢ 1/8 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes optional
• ▢ 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 lb rigatoni bucatini or spaghetti

Instructions 

• In a small skillet over medium heat toast the walnuts for several minutes until lightly browned. Let cool. This step is optional, but it adds a robust walnut flavor.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil.
• Finely chop walnuts (you should have about 1/2 cup total) and oregano leaves. Mince or grate the garlic and zest the entire lemon. Add all these to a large bowl with the ricotta, Parmesan cheese. Season with kosher salt and red pepper flakes.
• Slowly add the olive oil a tablespoon at a time and stir vigorously to incorporate.
• Cook the pasta for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the reserved pasta water to the white pesto and stir quickly to emulsify. This will be loose, but keep stirring for a minute.
• Drain the pasta and add pasta to the white pesto in bowl and toss to coat. Continue tossing until pesto thickens enough and clings to the pasta, about 2 minutes. Serve with more Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Notes

1. If there are any leftover, add a small amount of hot water or milk to loosen and and get saucy again as pasta will absorb white pesto sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 977kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 363mg | Iron: 3mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

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