Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Roasted Red Pepper and Pecan Pesto Penne
Red pepper pesto makes a generous, creamy coating for a bowl of pasta. The pecans give it a little depth, with melted cheese making every forkful feel satisfyingly rich. Spoon it out while it is warm, with Parmesan over the top for a savory finish.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Lunch · Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Make a paste
Pulse the pesto ingredients until they become a paste, so the roasted peppers and pecans blend into the cream sauce.
2. Start with half the cream
Begin the sauce with half a cup of cream. Keep the rest for loosening it if it becomes too thick.
3. Melt before tossing
Let the mozzarella melt into the sauce before adding the cooked pasta and bacon, then toss until everything is coated.
Get to know the ingredients
Jarred roasted peppers
A small jar supplies the listed roasted red peppers. They go straight into the pesto mixture with the nuts and basil.
Pecans
The pecans are processed with the other pesto ingredients, so look for a combined paste before transferring it to the saucepan.
Cooked bacon
The bacon is already fried when it joins the pasta. Leftover chicken is also listed as an option for the dish.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Roasted Red Pepper and Pecan Pesto Penne
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Parmesan at the table
Finish the tossed pasta with the extra grated Parmesan named in the serving step. It adds a final savory layer to the cream sauce.
A little more help as you go
Pasta choices
Penne and fettuccine are both listed options. Cook whichever you choose according to its package before adding it to the sauce.
Save a portion
Put leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where you can keep it for up to three days.
A few questions you might have
Does the pesto need to be cooked?
After blending, warm it with cream over medium heat until it begins to boil. The mozzarella then melts into that sauce.
When do I season the sauce?
Taste for salt and pepper while making the cream sauce, after adding the mozzarella and any extra cream it needs.
Can I put all the cream in at once?
The directions begin with half the cream and reserve the other half for a sauce that needs thinning as it cooks.
Does the pasta cook in the pesto?
Cook it separately according to the package directions. It joins the finished cheese sauce with the bacon for the final toss.
Do the garlic and basil stay in pieces?
They are pulsed with the pecans, Parmesan, olive oil and roasted peppers until everything forms a paste for the sauce.
Any more cooking tips?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: jocooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
