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A plate of Casarecce Pasta with pesto sauce topped with shredded parmesan, and fresh basil.
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5 from 6 votes

Casarecce Pasta with Basil Pesto

This casarecce pasta is stuffed full of onions, ham, and walnuts, all coated in a creamy pesto sauce. It's an easy and flavorful dish that everyone will love! 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Pasta
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 597kcal
Author: Ellen

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion (diced)
  • 8 oz ham (cubed)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh basil pesto (divided)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 16 oz casarecce pasta
  • 1 TBS salt
  • 1 tsp chili powder (optional, to taste)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
  • fresh shredded parmesan (to garnish)

Instructions

  • Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat, add in the olive oil and heat it up.
  • Add in the diced onions and heat them up for a few minutes, or until they are translucent.
  • Add the cubed ham, and cook it until the pieces are crispy.
  • Stir in 1 cup of the basil pesto.
  • Slowly pour in 1/3 cup of the heavy cream, while you're stirring it into the sauce.
  • Lower the temperature and let the sauce simmer.
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil.
  • Add in the pasta noodles, and 1 TBS of salt, and cook the pasta noodles according to the package directions.
  • Drain the water from the pot, and add the pasta back to the pot.
  • Pour the pesto sauce into the noodles, and stir it all together.
  • Add up to 1/2 more cup of pesto, and another 3 TBS of heavy cream, if needed to coat the pasta liberally in the sauce.
  • Sprinkle in chili powder, to taste, if desired.
  • Stir in ¼ cup chopped walnuts, if desired.
  • Serve with fresh grated Parmesan, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 597kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 1655mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1231IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 1mg