This Creamy Pesto Pasta is made with fire roasted red peppers, fresh basil, garlic, tomatoes and cream and served with the most amazing spicy Sicilian style meatballs - plus, its ready in under 30 minutes!!
Cook the spaghetti for about 8 minutes and drain. Pasta will not be fully cooked - it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Cook the meatballs according to the package instructions (or bake meatballs for 10 minutes per side). Then place them in a skillet to brown them after baking - I like a nice crust on my meatballs. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until it starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the fresh chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the pesto sauce (below) and red wine and bring to a simmer.
Add the cream, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
Add the pasta to the sauce and let cook for about 2 minutes.
Add the meatballs, mix to coat with the sauce and serve sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil (optional).
Red Pepper Pesto:
Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium low heat until lightly browned.
Combine all the ingredients in a blend and pulse until fully combined.
Notes
Any kind of pasta can be used in place of the spaghetti;
Add more crushed red pepper for added spice if desired;
This can also be made with basil pesto - try this Basil Pesto recipe from the Suburban Soapbox.
Add sauteed broccoli, spinach, peas, red peppers or any vegetable to make this a complete one-pot meal.