One Pot 20 Minute Pesto Pasta - featuring Boursin

As seen in my article on @YorkRegion and my Metroland / Torstar Column - Renata’s Table: I got that summertime, summertime pasta

This is a dream of a recipe for a quick, delicious healthy dinner. It takes as long to make as for your pasta to boil and cook! It’s made in one pot for easy clean up. Leftovers are fabulous eaten cold so this is a perfect meal prep recipe too. 

Asparagus and peas are added to the pasta to cook and chopped spinach is added with cream cheese and pesto to wilt and mix in the heat of the dish. 

Asparagus, peas and spinach are extremely nutrient-rich vegetables, low in calories, each are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune system supporting and rich in vitamins. Together they support the health of bones, eyes, brain, heart and the gut with high insoluble fiber content.

A quick homemade pesto or a good store-bought pesto (read the ingredient list!) and the Boursin cheese, herbed or plain cream cheese, round out this quick recipe that I’m sure you, your family and friends will really enjoy! 

As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your One Pot 20 Minute Pesto Pasta goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes /  Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4-5 Cups Tubular Pasta – I use ‘ScoobiDoo’ pasta as I love the fun shape – penne or rigatoni work well . If you use gluten free pasta, drain just before it is al dente so it will not get too soft when tossed with the cheese and pesto.

• 2 Cups Chopped Asparagus – ends snapped off and chopped into 1” pieces

• 1 Cup Peas – frozen or fresh

• 1 Cup Baby Spinach – torn into medium pieces

• 1 – 150gr Package Boursin Cheese, an Herbed Cream Cheese or 2/3 of a Brick of Plain Cream Cheese

• 3 Tablespoons Pesto – homemade or storebought

• 1 Cup Pasta Water

• A Generous Pinch of Herbed Seasoned Sea Salt – or plain sea salt

• Grinds of Fresh Black Pepper

• Parmesan Cheese – grated

How It’s Made

• Fill a large pot with water, salt the water generously and bring to a boil.

• Add your pasta of choice and stir.

• Halfway through the cooking time, add the chopped asparagus and the peas.

• Continue to boil until the pasta is cooked. The asparagus and peas should be cooked by now too.

• Turn off the heat when the pasta is cooked, carefully scoop out a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and veggies and return them to the pot. 

• Add the chopped spinach, Boursin (or cream cheese) and pesto. Mix well to wilt the spinach, melt the cheese and mix the pesto into the pasta and veggies. Add some of the reserved pasta water to make it creamy. 

• Season with a pinch of sea salt and grinds of fresh pepper.

• Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Step by step photos coming soon!