PENNE WITH CREAMY PESTO SAUCE

Penne with Creamy Pesto Sauce image

This is a recipe I concocted with ingredients on hand, including my homemade pesto. My family loved it! Serve vegetarian or top with a cooked chicken breast.

Provided by Sheri Miller

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 55m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound fresh broccoli florets
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
¼ cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup pine nuts
salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup prepared pesto
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon pine nuts

Steps:

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still slightly firm, about 11 minutes; drain.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook and stir broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup pine nuts until the broccoli and asparagus are tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir in flour and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk until thoroughly combined, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer sauce, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Remove sauce from heat and whisk in prepared pesto. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Pour pesto sauce into skillet with broccoli mixture; gently stir in penne pasta until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon pine nuts to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 530.2 calories, Carbohydrate 56.6 g, Cholesterol 22.5 mg, Fat 26.5 g, Fiber 6.3 g, Protein 21.5 g, SaturatedFat 7.7 g, Sodium 599 mg, Sugar 7.7 g