Creamy Pesto Sauce

Creamy Pesto Sauce - made with just 6 simple ingredients and packed with amazing flavor! This sauce is delicious on pasta, potatoes, chicken, veggies, or any of your favorites!

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Cook Time: 10

Servings:

Calories: 203kcal

Author: Cathy Trochelman

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup water *If making this recipe with pasta, use reserved pasta water
1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
2 Tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup pesto
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the heavy cream and water (see note below) and heat just until it starts to bubble.
Add the grated Parmesan and butter and stir until melted.
Stir in the pesto, lemon juice, salt & pepper.
Use immediately or store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

This sauce can be made thicker or thinner, depending on your tastes and how you plan to use it. The 2 keys are how much water you add and how much Parmesan you add. For a thinner sauce, add more water and less Parmesan; for a thicker sauce, add less water and more Parmesan. If you're making this as a sauce for pasta, reserve some pasta water and add it to taste at the end.

Recipe Variations

Substitute sun dried tomato pesto for basil pesto
Add more or less pesto to taste
Make it thicker by adding less water (or omit the water altogether)
Add additional Parmesan cheese
Add lemon zest in addition to the juice
Add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, or onion powder
Add a splash of dry white wine in place of the lemon juice
Adjust the salt & pepper to taste

Nutrition