Cranberry Pesto Pasta is easy to make, rich and irresistibly delicious, flavorful pasta dish prepared using fresh homemade pesto and pasta of your choice in less than 30 minutes. This is one of the best and most unique cranberry recipes you should try for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. This is an award-winning pasta recipe.
I decided to participate in the holiday blogger recipe challenge by Cape Cod Select using their premium frozen cranberries. This challenge required me to prepare a recipe (baking or entree or beverage) using cranberries. I love cranberries so much that I did not have to think twice before applying to this contest. I am glad that I was selected to participate in this challenge. The folks at Cape Cod were prompt in sending me their products and following up with me during the process. It has been a pleasure! I have already submitted my entry for the baking category here: cranberry frangipane tart. Wish me good luck guys 🙂 Also, do not forget to follow Cape Cod Select on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, as they provide regular updates on products, contests, recipes, and more. Also, check nearby stores for this great product.
Fresh cranberries are available during this time of the year at our local Farmer’s market. Still, Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen Cranberries makes it possible to use the best quality produce throughout the year. They are so easy to use and are versatile as they can be used to prepare delicious desserts as well as savory treats. Today I will first present a recipe for cranberry pesto and then use this as a base to prepare delicious pasta. The pesto is delicately sour and tart, and also bursts with flavors of basil and garlic.
How do you make homemade pesto sauce from scratch?
Instead of pine nuts, I have used almonds to provide it a nutty base. The richness comes from the addition of Parmesan and olive oil. This homemade pesto stays fresh for several weeks when refrigerated in an airtight container. As you may have guessed, this pesto tastes much better than its store-bought counterparts sans any chemical preservatives. The pesto recipe calls for few ingredients and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. If you do not have basil leaves, you can also substitute them with a small bunch of cilantro or coriander leaves. You can switch almonds with pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, roasted sunflower seeds, etc.
What can pesto sauce be used for?
Apart from using it for making pasta like in the recipe below, my family loves to have this pesto with bread slices, as a spread over pizza instead of tomato/marinara sauce, with soups, as dips for crackers and chips, or while preparing dressing for salads. My husband sometimes likes to have a spoonful of pesto as a side instead of chutneys with dosa or pancakes!
Cranberry Pesto Pasta
I often prepare pasta at home as it is not only a comfort food but also a quick and easy meal to prepare, especially after a long working day. And sometimes, my husband requests me to prepare pasta or pasta salads for his lunchbox. In this recipe, I have used angel hair pasta, but feel free to use any pasta of your choice. Other than cranberry pesto, you do not need to add any other herbs or spices. This pasta travels well, so it is perfect for lunch box, and as a make-ahead meal or entree for parties. Do prepare this simple yet delicious recipe for your upcoming tailgating events or football party or game nights or potluck or Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, and do not forget to let me know how it turned out.
Other Cranberry Recipes
While you are here, feel free to check out some of the best and most healthy, unique cranberry recipes to try this Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Cranberry Pesto Pasta – Readers’ favorite (award-winning) Savory Cranberry Pull-Apart Bread - Readers favorite Sparkling Cranberry Panak Cranberry Chicken Mini Pizzas With Cranberry Crust Chocolate Cranberry Barks Cranberry jam Cranberry Frangipane tart Cranberry Lemonade Cranberry Pickle Pumpkin Cranberry Cashewnut Bread Cranberry Beer
Recipe Card
Detailed recipe for Homemade Cranberry Pesto Sauce and Cranberry Pesto Pasta
Recipe card
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Preparation time : 30 minutes Serves : 4 to 6
Ingredients for Cranberry Pesto Pasta
For the Cranberry Pesto Sauce:
Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen Cranberries - 1 cup Basil leaves / Cilantro - 1 cup Garlic cloves - 3 Almonds sliced - ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated - ⅓ cup Peppercorns - ½ tsp Cayenne powder / Red chile powder - ½ tsp Olive oil - ⅓ cup Salt - to taste
For the Pesto Pasta:
Pasta of your choice - 1 pound Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen Cranberries - 3 tbsp Olive oil - 1 ½ tbsp Salt - to taste
Steps to prepare Cranberry Pesto pasta
Step I
In a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients mentioned in ‘For the pesto’ and blend them until it is smooth. Using a spatula, scrape the sides of the food processor every few seconds to ensure uniform and quick blending. Adjust the salt as per your taste. You can use this immediately or store it in the refrigerator for several weeks in an air-tight jar.
Step II
Cook the pasta according to package instructions in salted boiling water, drain them and keep this aside. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add frozen cranberries and saute it for 2 to 3 minutes till it becomes soft. Transfer this to a plate. You will use this for garnish. To the same pan, add the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil and the pesto prepared in step I and saute it on a medium flame for 2 minutes. To this, add the cooked pasta and mix till it is well combined. Cranberry Pesto Pasta is now ready. Garnish it with cranberries, some more grated Parmesan cheese, cilantro or basil leaves, and spring onions, and drizzle olive oil if desired.
