Cream Cheese Pesto Pasta

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 ounces penne or fusilli pasta

02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Pesto Sauce

03 - 4 ounces light cream cheese, softened

04 - 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed

06 - 2 tablespoons pine nuts, plus extra for garnish

07 - 2 garlic cloves

08 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

09 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

10 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

→ Garnish

11 - Extra fresh basil leaves

12 - Additional grated Parmesan cheese

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

02 - While pasta cooks, add basil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.

03 - Add cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Add a splash of hot pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.

04 - Return drained pasta to the pot. Add cream cheese pesto sauce and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water gradually until sauce is silky and adheres to pasta.

05 - Divide pasta among serving plates. Top with extra pine nuts, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

It comes together in 25 minutes, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a negotiation with yourself.
The cream cheese melts into something entirely different from what you'd expect, almost cloud-like against the bright basil and lemon.
You get restaurant-quality results without the pretense or the stress.

02 -

Cream cheese that isn't softened will seize up and turn grainy, so pull it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start cooking.
The pasta water isn't just for thinning the sauce—it's the starch that makes everything coat evenly, so don't skip reserving it.
Lemon juice is your best friend here, cutting through richness in a way that makes the basil sing brighter.

03 -