What Meat Goes with Pesto Pasta – beef, chicken, seafood – find out which protein to add to this easy, flavor-packed dish.
Pesto Pasta is a complete meal on its own and one of the most popular recipes on the blog for good reason:
It whips up in 15 minutes with just 4 simple ingredients, its packed with delicious flavor and sometimes we just need another great option besides tomato sauce!
If you want to make this dish even heartier, the solution is to add protein in the form of meat or seafood. Check out all the suggestions below.
WHAT IS PESTO PASTA?
Pesto Pasta is a delicious dish made with your choice of pasta tossed with homemade or store-bought herby pesto.
This easy meal is ideal for busy weeknights and goes perfectly with a glass of crisp white wine,.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED AND HOW TO MAKE IT:
- 8 ounces pasta any kind
- 1/2 cup basil pesto (homemade fresh pesto or store-bought pesto)
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced into strips
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
You’ll also need: reserved pasta water and salt and black pepper.
Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Generously season with salt then add pasta to boiling water. Cook according to al dente then reserve about 1/3 cup of pasta water. Set it aside and drain the pasta.
Transfer the cooked pasta back to the pot, add pesto, sun dried tomatoes and about 1/4 cup of pasta water (more or less).
Gently toss and if your sauce seems dry, add a little more pasta water (not too much – you don’t want it watery).
Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and some good crusty bread.
SUBS AND VARIATIONS:
- Sprinkle in some pine nuts.
- Try cherry tomatoes instead of sun-dried tomatoes.
- Use any variety of pasta including spaghetti, penne pasta or bow tie.
- Sprinkle in a few red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Add a splash of heavy cream for a creamy pesto sauce.
- Try Pecorino Romano cheese instead of parmesan.
- Squeeze some lemon juice over the finished dish for a bright citrusy pop.
- Add some torn fresh basil leaves onto each dish.
WHAT MEAT GOES WITH HERBY PESTO PASTA?
There’s no one right choice. Any would add to this delicious dinner – including a glass of crisp white wine! If you have leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, either would be a great add.
CHICKEN:
Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts
BEEF:
Air Fryer Flank Steak
Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs (or sub lean ground beef)
ITALIAN SAUSAGE:
Air Fryer Italian Sausage
SHRIMP:
Basil Chimichurri Shrimp
Grilled Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Pork Tenderloin
HOW TO SAFELY STORE LEFTOVER PESTO PASTA:
Cool completely the transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge up to 3 days.
