Pesto Cavatappi
Pesto Cavatappi is a tasty copycat recipe of the famous Noodles & Company dish. This recipe uses fresh homemade basil pesto sauce. It smells and tastes amazing and is guaranteed to please the whole family. With this recipe, you can make a mouthwatering pasta any night of the week.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- Fresh basil leaves - 1- 1/2 cups
- Freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces) - 1/2 cup
- Extra virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup
- Pine nuts - 1/3 cup
- Garlic cloves, minced - 3
- Salt - 1/4 tsp
- Freshly ground black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Pesto - 1/2 cup
- Water - 2 cups
- Cavatappi Pasta - 8 oz
- Fresh white mushrooms (sliced thickly) 1 -1/2 cup
- Olive oil - 1 Tbsp
- Cherry tomatoes (sliced in half) - 1 cup
- Garlic cloves (roughly chopped) -2 cloves
- some shredded Parmesan cheese (for garnish) (optional)
- Heavy Whipping Cream or milk - 1/4 cup (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Rinse Basil leaves in cold water
- 2
In a food processor or high-power blender, combine basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts ,salt, garlic, and olive oil.
- 3
Your Pesto sauce is ready.
- 4
For the Pasta
- 5
Set Instant pot to Sauté Mode
- 6
Once you see the HOT message, add oil and cherry tomatoes
- 7
Sauté the tomatoes for around 30 seconds.
- 8
Remove the tomatoes out and set them aside.
- 9
Add the chopped garlic and the mushrooms to the inner pot
- 10
Sauté them for around 1 minute.
- 11
Add the pesto sauce and mix the ingredients well and then add the Cavatappi pasta to the inner pot
- 12
Add water and salt to taste.
- 13
Do not stir.
- 14
Set the Pressure cooker to Manual/Pressure Cook with High Pressure, for 5 minutes.
- 15
Once the timer is up, allow around 5 minutes for NPR (natural pressure release).
- 16
Use the quick release method to let off the remaining pressure.
- 17
Add in heavy cream and stir everything well.
- 18
You can saute the pasta for a few minutes if you like the sauce a bit thicker.
- 19
Top it with the cherry tomatoes that were set aside earlier.
- 20
You can top it with Parmesan cheese
- 21
Serve hot and enjoy !