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This fresh, creamy Basil Pasta is so flavorful and delicious. The colors and aroma will delight your senses before you even take a bite.
Featured With This Recipe
When it comes to pasta dishes, in my mind it’s difficult to go wrong. But the fresh, creamy flavor of this Basil Pasta makes this dish even better than most pasta recipes.l Between me, my husband, and my daughter we devoured this entire pan of creamy pasta. It’s a little embarrassing considering this normally could easily serve 5 to 6 people. We were all pretty hungry and it was just so good!! I picked the tomatoes fresh from Erica’s garden and they were so sweet and delicious, but you can easily use grape or cherry tomatoes from the store. We are crazy about anything with tomato and basil but feel free to try variations on the veggies or add sliced grilled chicken. Let us know if you find a variation that works well.
What’s In Creamy Basil Pasta?
- Minced garlic
- Butter
- Spaghetti noodles – thin spaghetti or angel hair noodles will work great
- Chicken broth
- Whipping cream
- Zucchini (optional)
- Dried basil
- Salt and black pepper
- Parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano REggiano)
- Cherry tomatoes – or fresh tomato, diced
- Fresh basil leaves
Additions and Substitutions
- Try adding a little protein by serving with grilled chicken or steak. It’s amazing with our lemon pepper chicken sliced on the top.
- To make this more of a “true” Italian dish, omit the broth and cream and add 2 cups of pasta water with 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano. Toss with the pasta until rich and creamy.
- A few handfuls of fresh spinach will add more nutritional value without changing the flavor of the pasta
- Add a little fresh lemon juice or a little lemon zest for an extra, bright flavor.
- Try adding a few red pepper flakes for a little kick.
Health Benefits of Fresh Basil
With so many “super foods” on the market out there, you might not know about the many health benefits of fresh basil. According to an article in MedicalNewsToday, fresh basil, otherwise known as Saint Joseph’s Wart, is said to have anti-aging and antibacterial properties. Anti-inflammatory qualities are another positive attributed to basil. Think along the same lines as aspirin and ibuprofin when used as an anti-inflammatory. Plus, basil is a “nutrient heavy and calorie light”, which makes it a great addition to a pasta dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Basil is delicious in this recipe and also tastes great in tomato-based spaghetti sauces.
You can’t go wrong when serving basil with tomatoes. It also goes well with mozzarella cheese, dishes with Parmigiano Reggiano, or in Italian-style soups.
Always add fresh basil in at the end of cooking. In most dishes, you want to have that fresh basil flavor and adding it right before serving will give you that freshness. Dried basil should be added at the beginning of your cooking time to give it time to rehydrate and infuse the dish.
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A Little More Basil
If you’re sold on the idea of including more basil in your diet, you may want to give these great recipes a try!
How To Make Basil Pasta
Creamy Basil Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair noodles
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3-4 cloves garlic)
- 2 tablespoons butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 small zucchini chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 small carton cherry tomatoes
- fresh basil leaves sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil noodles according to package instructions to "al dente" in a large pot of salted water. Reserve a mug full of pasta water before draining the noodles. This can be added to the pasta later if it becomes too dry.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a large fry pan or large skillet, saute the minced garlic in butter until golden brown. Add the zucchini and saute until crisp-tender.
- Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and dried basil, salt and pepper and bring contents to a simmer.
- Remove the fry pan from heat and stir in the noodles and parmesan cheese until thoroughly mixed, then gently stir in the cherry tomatoes. If the noodles become too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Garnish with sliced fresh basil.
Nutrition Information
This looks absolutely incredible! Making it this week!
This is a great pasta recipe. Full of flavor and easy to make. Yum!
I love basil, so this was right up my alley! I added extra fresh basil to my serving. Delicious!
I love this pasta! It’s not heavy & has delicious flavors! I love that it’s quick to make as well!
My son is allergic to chicken what kind of would beef broth work just as well?
You can use beef broth.. it will just be a deeper, more meaty flavor. Hope this helps!
Just made this outstanding recipe! So fresh, so delicious and so simple!! I will be making this all the time, and playing with different veggies to add in! Thank you, so much!! My tummy is very happy!☺️
This recipe came to me a few weeks ago via a meal plan newsletter from The Recipe Critic. Finally got around to making it a few nights ago and it was a delicious hit for the family. Definitely goes in the “keeper file”! Thanks!!
Thanks! I’m so glad you liked it! This recipe is one of my personal favorites. 🙂
Tasty recipe, and not too time-comsuming. Thanks!
Nice recipe. Thanks so much. Have a great day!