Creamy Garlic Pesto Bow Tie Pasta

Today's meal is great because it literally takes about 40 minutes to cook from start to finish. It is an easy and  versatile meal with some great core ingredients, like most pastas its all about the sauce. The creamy pesto sauce I made for the dish is so versatile, you can freeze the pesto (before you add the cream) and use it later, you can use this recipe and add shrimp or chicken and its just as delicious. Dinner in less than a hour! 

Serves 4

You will need all of the above ingredients and then some.

First, fill a stock pot with 6-8 quarts of water.

Set the burner on high, add a heavy pinch of salt and bring to a boil.

Wash a handful of flat leaf Italian parsley. 

I like to chop off about an inch of the stem from the bottom as well.

Run your knife through the parsley in a coarse chop, breaking down the parsley sprigs.

Meanwhile add a 1/2 cup of pine nuts to a food processor.

Add in the parsley, (about 1 cup).

Add in about 8 cloves of fresh garlic.

Add in one tablespoon of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Add in 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil.

Pulse in food processor combing all ingredients. Set aside sauce.

When your sauce is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl,  you have the right consistency. 

If your sauce is too coarse add in more olive oil, if it is too fine try to add in extra pine nuts and parsley if available.

If you want to freeze this sauce now is the time.

Cook pasta per package instructions and set aside.

Meanwhile, finely chop 1/2 of large onion...

And thaw out 8 oz. of frozen peas.

Add three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a pot and heat oil on medium/high heat.

Add in onions and a pinch of salt & pepper.

Cook until onions are tender.

Add in thawed peas.

If peas are still frozen, don't worry, its okay, they'll cook quickly.

Stir together and cook until peas have cooked through.

Add in reserved pesto sauce.

Stir together and cook for one minute.

Add in 3 cups of heavy whipping cream.

Stir together ingredients and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low.

Grate in 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Mix ingredients together and cook for one more minute.

 Add in cooked bow tie pasta.

Stir together with a flat spoon to combine all ingredients and remove from heat.

Set aside, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley for garnish.