Homemade Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi is the perfect copycat version made right in your own kitchen! Making pesto is probably easier than you think!
I first made this recipe in 2011 but wanted to re-make it and take some new pictures. I’m upset with myself that I took so long to make it again!
Homemade Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi
Noodles & Company is one of my favorite fast casual restaurants. I typically order this Pesto Cavatappi or the Med Salad. If you order it there, it comes with mushrooms. I always swap those out for spinach so I did the same thing here.
Julia loved helping with this one. She was great at de-stemming the basil and was thrilled to push the button the food processor.
I made a simple grilled chicken to go along with this and had a quick dinner that all of us loved.
Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi
Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi twists, cooked al dente
- For the pesto:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh basil de-stemmed
- 2 Tablespoons shaved Asiago cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- 1 Tablespoon white wine
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 oz heavy cream
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons shaved Asiago cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups fresh spinach de-stemmed
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta to al dente, drain, rise with cold water, then toss with olive oil & set aside.
- Make the pesto:
- In a food processor, add the fresh basil, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, 2 Tablespoons of Asiago cheese and blend until smooth. Taste, then season with salt & pepper & blend, as needed. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add in the olive oil & the garlic.
- Add butter and crushed red pepper.
- Add in the cooked noodles & stir.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine and then add the chicken stock.
- When the noodles begin to sizzle a bit, add the chopped tomatoes and spinach.
- Add in the cream.
- Toss & stir then turn off heat.
- Pour on the pesto and let the tomatoes warm and spinach wilt.
- Garnish with the remaining shaved Asiago cheese.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying/pasting and/or screenshots of full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected.
Updated 5/25/16. Original picture from 2011:
Things you may need:
Mini Food Processor(so many pretty colors – I have red)
Corkscrew
My favorite heat safe spatulas
Or maybe you’ll like…
Pesto Pasta with Peas & Sun Dried Tomatoes
Zucchini & Squash Galette
Hi there. This week’s Food on Friday is all about mushrooms! So it would be great if you linked this in. This is the link . Have a good week.
Lovely dish. Thanks for linking it in to Food on Friday: Mushrooms. I have just signed up to follow you. A follow back to Carole’s Chatter would be wonderful – or are you already following? Cheers