Pesto Cream Sauce for Tortelloni

I'm one of those writers who really only has so many words in me to write each day.  I'm also one of those writers who depends on my writing for my income, so I tend to prioritize things by how much they pay rather than how interested I am in them.  That's the long way of saying that I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a week, but I had to prioritize some other gigs.  I think the fog has cleared for a bit and I can get back to more regular blogging.

However, I have had time to play with a recipe for a Pesto Cream Sauce.  I made this sauce and put it on store-bought spinach and cheese tortelloni, then topped it with shredded Parmesan cheese.  The sauce is fairly liquid-y and would have covered a couple of boxes of pasta, so plan accordingly or half the recipe.

Pesto Cream Sauce

1 c. stock (I used homemade; it was primarily chicken-based, but you can use whatever you like.)

1/2 c. organic whipping cream

4 oz. frozen pesto

sea salt and ground pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, thaw and cook pesto in the stock until blended.  Add sea salt to taste.  (I don't freeze my pesto with salt, so I put in quite a bit -- you will have to adjust for your pesto's saltiness.)  Allow this to cook down so the flavors will blend, at least 15 minutes or so.  (But you can definitely let it cook for longer if you are busy.)

Just before serving, add whipping cream and blend.  If you desire a thicker sauce, add a bit of cornstarch and cook until thickened.  

Add prepared tortelloni and cook until pasta is well-coated.  Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

The Analysis

Fast:  A basic sauce like this comes together quickly, although the longer you cook, the thicker it is and the more blended the flavors are.  However, you can definitely achieve a respectable sauce in the time it takes to boil the tortelloni and set the table.

Cheap:  I used homemade stock and home-grown basil pesto, so I was really only out the money for a half cup of organic whipping cream.

Good:  As I mentioned, this can be a fairly thin sauce which you can thicken by cooking it more and adding some corn starch.  However, it is a wonderful accompaniment to pasta and reheats very well.