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This easy One Pot Creamy Tuscan Pesto and Artichoke Pasta is perfect for nights when you’re craving Italian, but need something simple and easy to prepare. Linguine pasta tossed with a lemony, pesto sauce that’s creamy and so delicious! Stir in plenty of kale, artichokes, and white beans for a pasta dinner that’s cozy yet healthy(ish) too. Added bonus, this simple pasta is made all in one pot, start to finish. A terrific family dinner to serve any night of the week!
Keeping things easy, yet still cozy and colorful today. I feel like everyone is dealing with colder temperatures and snow. Therefore, pasta on a Monday feels especially fitting…because even though soup is great…variation is key!
My brother, Kai, who does all the filming for the HBH videos, became completely snowed in over the weekend. And when I say snowed in, I mean snowed in! He’s been filming up in Canada, in St. John’s, the capital of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. They were hit with a record snowstorm that left them without power for over a day. Kai was supposed to come here on Saturday, but there was no way he was getting out, his flight is now rescheduled for Tuesday. They’re hoping the roads will be plowed by then so that they’re able to GET to the airport!
There was so much snow that the town had to call in the Canadian military to help dig them out. Kai said that he and the athletes he is filming dug out a 90-year-old woman who had snow completely covering her front door (see the pic in this link of others with their doors completely covered). He said she was incredibly grateful. Honestly, I would have been freaking, but in true Kai fashion, he took a lot of photos and said it was “mellow”.
Right, mellow…
From the looks of it, it was anything but mellow, but I’m glad he can keep his cool. I’ll have to share his photos in Sunday’s favorites. It’s a lot of snow, but also so pretty.
Anyway, the point of this story is that many of us are dealing with some wintry weather. This calls for easy dinners at home…because sometimes, going out just isn’t an option. And if you happen to be in a warm climate, pasta is always a good idea, right? Enter this creamy Tuscan style pesto pasta with artichokes, white beans, and kale. I like to think of it as a Tuscan salad with the addition of pasta…basically health food.
Inspired by a pizza I made last year, I used similar flavors and ingredients, but instead of a pizza, I created a delicious one pot pasta. Yes, ONE POT. This means that this entire recipe starts and ends in the very same pot. This means less dishes, less cooking, and more time to chill by the fire, which is pretty ideal, at least for me.
Start out by cooking up some shallots along with fresh lemon zest. It’s important that this pasta is cozy, but still light and vibrant…in keeping with Healthy January. I love this combination of flavors. The shallot feels indulgent, but the lemon lightens things up.
Next, add in a good amount of water, the linguine pasta, and plenty of Tuscan kale (flat-leaf instead of curly). Yep, boil the pasta right in the same pot you’re making the sauce in. This takes a few minutes, so during this time, I like to prep the artichokes and white beans.
Cook the pasta until al dente…when you try the noodles, they should have a little bit of a bite to them. Then stir in canned coconut milk for an extra rich and creamy sauce, but minus the cream. Then add the basil pesto, artichokes, and white beans. Cook everything together until warmed throughout and extra creamy with a little sauce left in the bottom of the pot
Now, remove from the heat, add plenty of fresh basil, and dill. And that’s it…simple!
Divide the pasta between plates, top with fresh burrata cheese (a must) and nutty toasted pine nuts. Simple and perfect in every possible way.
Use a large enough pot. Trust me, I’ve made the mistake of selecting too small of a pot when attempting to make one pot pasta recipes and it always turns out horrible. You need to make sure to give the pasta plenty of room to expand while cooking or the pasta will turn out hard, gummy, and just not good.
Ideally, you should be using a four-quart pot or larger. This 4qt pot by Dansk that you see photographed is great. But for absolute BEST results, I would recommend using a six to eight-quart pot. I like this six-quart one from Staub.
Other than that, there are no secrets, this pasta is easy! The creaminess and all that fresh burrata cheese make it feel a touch indulgent, but in reality, it’s actually pretty healthy. Well, healthy on my terms anyway. I know some may argue this…
But healthy, healthy(ish), or neither, most importantly this pasta is delicious. Creamy, hinted with basil and lemon, swirled with kale, artichokes, and creamy white beans. Literally, every twirl of pasta is perfect.
So with that, who’s ready for a little Monday night pasta to keep things fun?
PS. I just remembered that it’s actually a holiday today too…so all the more reason to celebrate with pasta dinner!
If you make this one pot creamy Tuscan pesto and artichoke pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This looks and sounds like the perfect pasta. Definitely reminds me of Italy! So simple and fresh too!
Wow thank you so much Ashley! This is so amazing to read! xTieghan
Hi!
I’ll be picking the kale from my garden. How much is a “bunch” – i.e. one cup chopped?
Thanks!!
Hi Justine! I would use about 2 cups of chopped kale. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, so excited to try this! Rookie question: you DON’T have to drain the pasta, correct? I’ve never made a one pot dish before and I’m assuming draining it would take out all of the flavor?
Hi Lauren! That is correct. There is no need to drain the pasta! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Excited to make this! Just to clarify- you don’t pour the water out when the pasta is done? Thanks!
Hi Mia! That is correct. Do not pour out any water. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Making this tonight. My grocery store didn’t have burrata so I picked up “basket ricotta” (hand-dipped whole milk ricotta). Do you think that’s a good substitute?
Hey Karen! I am sure that will be delicious!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Can i use spinach instead of kale?
Hi Andria! Spinach will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Really love the combo of flavors here. And of course—-pasta always! Can’t wait to make and enjoy.
Thank you Joyce! I hope you love this one! xTieghan
This pasta looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it for dinner soon!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Hi Paige! I hope you absolutely love this recipe! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Quick question: if I’m trying to make this healthier, can I sub spaghetti squash for the pasta?
HI! You can use spaghetti squash, but there is no need to use any water then. Just roast the squash, then add the creamy sauce overtop. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
These photos are gorgeous! Wow. I can’t wait to make this!
Thank you Libby! I hope this turns out wonderfully for you! xTieghan
So many lovely flavors and textures in one easy pot! What a wonderful comfort dish for this time of year. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Linger! I am glad you like this and I hope you try it! xTieghan
Terri W. When I first read your post I was thinking “It SNOWS in the Virgin Islands ?!” Then I remembered last nights news about the humongous blizzard in NF. I’m in Maine and we are looking at our third big snowstorm this coming weekend. We had some unseasonably warm weather in the beginning of the winter-I knew it wouldn’t last.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. ?
Hi Marianne! OH WOW! I hope you stay safe and warm!! Also, I hope you love this recipe! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Love one pot meals. The flavours are absolutely top notch ❤️
Thank you so much Arpita! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan…yes the snow in Newfoundland is quite the story right now. But, the Newfoundlanders have a good sense of humour and make the best of a bad situation. They’ve been through storms like this before. I read one story where the snow piled up so tight and high against someone’s front door that the doorbell rang..haha! Anyways..this pasta dish looks good, but I have never even tasted artichokes before…Not so sure about them..lol..But, you’ve never let me down yet, so I may have to find some. When you say “marinated” are they pickled or something?
Hi Colleen! Haha wow that is so funny! I could not imagine being in that kind of weather! WOW! Also, I hope you love this recipe when you get a chance to try it! And marinated artichokes are soaked in oil and spices, so they do not have a pickled flavor! xTieghan
The world is a small place. I live in St. John’s and was going to pass along that I live in St. John’s and we had been slammed by a blizzard the past weekend. The meals I chose to cook? Crockpot Lentil Chickpea soup and One of your sheet pan salmon recipes. When I read your post this morning, I could only laugh. Of course your brother is here for snowmageddon. Looking forward to today’s recipe!
Hi Terri! Wow that is so funny! Yes, they are having a blast snowboarding around haha. I hope you are staying safe! I hope you love all of the recipes you try! xTieghan