Pesto Cavatappi (Noodles & Company Copycat)
There’s so much to love about springy pasta, creamy pesto sauce, and bright diced tomatoes, so it’s no wonder Pesto Cavatappi is Noodles and Company’s most popular dish. Here’s the perfected copycat recipe that’s faster, less expensive, and maybe even just a little more delicious.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 423kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta or other small pasta (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 large tomato cored and diced
- 4 ounces mushrooms sliced (optional, see note 2)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (see note 3)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup homemade pesto or store-bought (see note 4)
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or stock pot, bring 4 quarts of water and salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tomatoes and mushrooms (if using) and cook for about 5 minutes, until some of the liquid has been released and the tomatoes are heated through.
- Stir in the broth, wine, and cream and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Add pesto and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add pasta and toss until uniformly coated in the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish or individual plates and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Cavatappi: You can substitute rotini, rigatoni, bow-tie, or any small or medium-sized pasta.
- Mushrooms: Noodles & Company puts them in, but you can leave them out.
- Dry white wine: Substitute more chicken broth for the wine if you want to.
- Pesto. Homemade pesto or store-bought.
- Vegetarian: Substitute pasta cooking water for the chicken broth. The starches in the pasta water make the recipe even creamier.
- Chicken: Cook chunks of chicken in olive oil before you add the tomatoes and mushrooms. Throw in the mushrooms and tomatoes to cook when the chicken is just barely pink, then proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Shrimp: Add them to the skillet with the mushrooms and tomatoes to cook (they cook quickly).
- Zucchini noodles: Super healthy dinner ahead! Get the sauce made and stir in raw zucchini ribbons. Serve when the zucchini is just warm. Don’t overcook it, because zucchini tastes best as pasta when it still has a little crunch.
- Other mix-ins: Black olives, fresh spinach, or chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 1397mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1021IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 1mg