Creamy Pesto Pasta

This is one of our go to recipes that all members of the family enjoy, feels indulgent and is cost effective.

Below is the recipe and the pricing for the ingredients and where I usually get them from.


500g dry pasta ($1 from The Warehouse)
1 carton of long life cream ($3.60 from Countdown)
1 jar of Barilla basil pesto - this is our preferred brand, you can get cheaper ($5.50 from Countdown)
500g of frozen mixed veges ($3 per kg from Countdown)
Sprinkle of tasty grated cheese per serve ($10.90 for 550g- $1.09 estimate of 100g used for all serves)


Cook the pasta in a large stock pot. Defrost the veges in the microwave.
Heat the pesto in a pan...I usually add some pasta water to wash out the jar. Add the cream and simmer at a medium until warmed through. Add extra pasta water to thin the consistency to a sauce. Add the thawed vegetables and mix.
Drain the pasta and return to the stock pot. Add creamy pesto and vege sauce to pasta and mix. Serve and sprinkle a small amount of the grated cheese on top.

This recipe serves 5 large servings as a full meal so works out at $2.54 per serve or $12.69 for the meal.