We happened to stop at Noodles & Company for lunch with friends and Sophia ordered Pesto Cavatappi. She loved it so much, that we had to try and replicate it at home. We’ve made this recipe without meat, with chicken and even ground turkey. Each time, it was delicious. A quick, easy to make recipe, that’s been a hit with kids and adults.

Servings: 6 as main course

Ingredients:

Some ingredient considerations:

1. Cavatappi – options include rotini, macaroni, or whatever pasta you have on hand
2. Dry white wine – instead of wine, you can add more chicken broth, or if you are going vegetarian, vegetable broth
3. Greek yogurt – while the original recipe calls for heavy whipping cream, I use Greek yogurt as a healthier alternative

• 1 pound cavatappi pasta or other small pasta (see note 1 above)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 ounces mushrooms diced
• 1 large tomato diced
• 1/2 chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (see note 2)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (see note 3)
• 1 cup basil pesto
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

• In a large pan, bring 4 quarts of water with salt to boil. Add pasta and cooks until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. When hot, add mushrooms. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the liquid is released and almost dry
• If adding meat, add it now and cook, stirring occasionally. For ground turkey, cook over medium heat, stirring to break up clumps, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes
• Add tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes
• Stir in the broth, wine, and bring to a boil; stir in the yogurt, reduce heat to medium and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes
• Add pesto and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes
• Add pasta and toss until uniformly coated in the sauce
• Turn off the stove
• Serve while hot and garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh, ground pepper