7.26.2011

Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi (Copycat Recipe)


My husband definitely does NOT love pasta dishes like I do. I have to limit myself to one pasta dish every week at most or else he gets sick of eating pasta. Seriously, who gets sick of eating pasta? And how did I marry such a man?!!! Luckily, he has other redeeming qualities and I can overlook this one tiny flaw.

Imagine my surprise when Kurt asked me to make Pesto Cavatappi like he gets at Noodles & Company! I was stoked for two reasons: 1) Kurt was asking me to make a pasta dish and 2) I got to try a new recipe! I didn't have this recipe handy so I first went to the Noodles & Co. website and saw what was in the dish which looked simple enough. Next I did what any good super sleuth would do, I googled the recipe! I found the recipe at Yahoo Answers where a former Noodles & Co. cook posted his recipe and it looked very simple (yay!). The only issue is that he posted the recipe for a one person serving, I wanted to make a whole bunch of pasta. I ended up guestimating on the quantities and was lucky because it tastes pretty much exactly like it does at Noodles & Co.!! I made a side of shrimp for Kurt to add to his dish and he said it was absolutely perfect....he even went back for thirds!! There is nothing as exciting and fulfilling as trying a new recipe and it working out beautifully! 

Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi (Copycat Recipe)

Ingredients:
3/4 box cavatappi noodles (you can use any shapes you like but use a hearty noodle)
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 pint sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup cream
7 oz. pesto (I used store bought but I bet it would be amazing with homemade)
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil - hellooo, Amy!)
shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Cook pasta as directed on packaging.
2. While pasta is cooking, saute the tomatoes and mushrooms in about a tablespoon of EVOO.
3. When the pasta is almost done, add the wine to the tomatoes and mushrooms and reduce for 2 minutes. Then add the cream to the tomatoes and mushrooms and reduce for another 1-2 minutes. Add the pesto and stir well.
4. Drain pasta and add to the pesto mixture. Stir very well and let sit a minute to soak up the pesto.
5. Plate and top with shredded parmesan cheese!

49 comments:

  1. I'm very new to cooking so sorry for the stupid question but what kind of "cream" are you using in this recipe? Heavy whipping cream?

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    1. For healthier and less heavy you can use half and half but heavy cream is best.

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    2. Heavy whipping cream

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    3. Vegans can use coconut cream, but add a bit of lemon zest.

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  2. I am so excited to have found this recipe--it is my favorite Noodles and Company dish. I moved to California a few years ago and the Bay Area is sorely in need of a Noodle and Co.

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    1. Same question what kind of cream... and do you have a pesto recipe without pine nuts??

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    2. It's heavy whipping cream.

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    3. I've never made my own pesto sauce. Christina, did you use store bought (if so, what brand) or did you make your own? thanks, much

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    4. I just used store bought and I use whatever is the best price. I have bought Buitoni most.

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    5. We make lots of pesto (we grow basil in the garden). We toast unsalted, shelled sunflower seeds, and use them as a cheap alterantive to pine nuts. You can also use toasted walnuts.

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  3. Pretty stoked about this! How many servings does it make? I pinned in on my recipes board on pintrest. brandicriminger[at]yahoo[dot]com if you get around to answering the serving question

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  4. Hi, What kind of white wine do you use? I am sooo lost when it comes to the alcohol department.
    Thanks!

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    1. You can use any white wine, but you probably want something basic like a simple table wine or chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. Use wine that you would like to drink, not the cheapest thing on the shelf but you don't need to spend a lot either. Or there are some grocery stores that carry cooking wine, it's near the vinegar at our store.

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    2. Many well known chefs use dry vermouth when a recipe calls for white wine. If you decide to use table wine, use a dry white wine rather than sweet.

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  5. Thanks for the recipe! I used sour cream & pinot grigio. I would say it makes 4-6 servings. My husband & I had seconds, it was so good!

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  6. You want to cook the pasta until its almost done, then actually finish cooking it in the sauté pan so it can absorb the wine and cream. I'm only saying this because I use to work as a sauté cook at noodles and company. It's a lot more flavorful for the noodles.

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    1. Since you worked there could you answer some of my questions?

      1) What did N&C use to deglaze ( what kind of wine or stock)
      2) What brand was the pesto sauce (someone told me they bought pre made tubs)
      3) The Penne Rosa Sauce ingredients ( I really miss it since I moved from the midwest) and if possible the method of incorporation.

      It would be really helpful to have answers to these questions.

      Best

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    2. Noodles and company uses franzia house wine . The pesto sauce is noodles and companys own brand. And the penne rosa is basically a chunky marinara sauce with some red pepper chunks and pepper flakes in it.

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    3. I currently work at Noodles and Company and since the noodles are already cooked before we open all we do is, steam our veggies and noodles/or put the noodles and veggies in the pan with an ounce of white wine and vegetable broth (for an 8 oz single serving) after the liquid is gone (can't think of the right word at the moment) you add the pesto sauce and stir together until the noodles are completely covered you turn the heat off and add cream to avoid burning the noodles and/or pan!

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  7. @Kayla Erne - I've tried making this at home a few times (so that it's gluten free) and I've found the pesto makes all the difference. What brand did they use when you worked at N&C?
    Thanks!

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  8. I say it makes about 4 servings but we like big helpings in our house! I use whatever crisp white wine I have in the house, usually Pinot Grigio, Sauvingnon blanc, or a dry German Riesling. For cream I usually use half & half but you can easily use heavy whipping, sour cream, or greek yogurt.

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  9. Made this tonight. It was awesome!

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  10. Glad you liked it TeamDurr & Enrique!!

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  11. Just made this! It's delicious! Thank you!

    Liz
    www.gimmesomestyleblog.com

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  12. Made this for my wife tonight and she raved saying it tasted just like Noodles and Company. She's only gives high praise when it is earned, so kudos to you.

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    1. Kudos to you for making it for your wife! Major husband points there! Glad she loved it!

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  13. I'm thinking about making this in my classroom. What could I substitute for the white wine?

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    1. Chicken stock would work, it's not the same flavor but it'll add more flavor than water.

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  14. I just moved to New Zealand and they are very lacking in the hearty Italian department. I'm glad I came across this as it's my favorite dish of all :) Thanks for posting!!

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    1. I'm so happy you have a little bit of comfort while in New Zealand!

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  15. I am a huge fan of noods' pesto cavatappi with shrimp. I tried this recipe last night and i loved it. I added some shrimp to the dish which put it over the top. I made some sauteed garlic shrimp. I added minced garlic to the mushrooms and olive oil. After a few minutes of cooking I added a pound of the shrimp. Seasoned it with old bay seasoning and an italian blend of herbs, and once the shrimp was cooked I followed the remainder of the recipe as listed. this turned out very tasty! In fact it tasted even better the next day. Thanks for posting.

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    1. Thank you for the review! The shrimp is a great idea, especially the garlic shrimp!

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  16. Oh my gosh, this is amazing. A-ma-zing.

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  17. I'm so glad y'all like the dish so much and I appreciate the kind words!! It's definitely a staple in our house for casual nights or for entertainig!

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  18. I made this tonight at the request of my daughter who luvs the Noodles and Co version. She said it even tasted better than the takeout version! Definately a keeper! This recipe will save me some money by making at home. Thanks for a great recipe!

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    1. Yes! I'm glad your daughter loved it! Thank you for the post!

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  19. JUST made this for dinner and it was EXACTLY like the restaurant's version! We always like shrimp in ours, and I would actually add more mushrooms and tomatoes - a "little" bit heavy on the pasta - but other than that it was perfect!

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    1. Shrimp is a great idea! My husband loves shrimp so I'll do a side of that for him as well. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  20. for dairy free you can use coconut milk as a substitute for cream. Healthier and delish!!

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  21. Is the wine optional?

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    1. If you don't add wine make sure to add some liquid in its place! I'd suggest chicken (or vegetable) broth for flavor.

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  22. Made this tonight, using half & half for the cream, adding chicken and spinach. It was very good and got rave reviews from my family.

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    1. I'm so glad it worked out and the family loved it! Always a win when the family approves!

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  23. Does it matter if you use just regular olive oil instead of evoo?

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    1. I don't think so. I typically just use EVOO since that is what I cook with most but regular olive oil would be perfect as well!

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  24. Just had it tonight and we all LOVED it! (Even my picky 10 year old.) I increased quantities because...well, we eat a lot. (We all had seconds...) 1 lb pasta, 1/2 cup light cream, 8 oz jar of Basil pesto. I might increase mushrooms to 16 oz next time, too. I forgot to buy the grape tomatoes, so cut up several Campari tomatoes. My husband doesn't feel like it's a meal without meat, so I sauteed 1 lb of chicken cut into 2" x 1/4" strips, seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon pepper and onion powder. Next time, I'll try it with shrimp. THANK you for figuring out this copycat recipe!

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  25. I searched for the recipe when my daughter was going to N&Co every week and spending $7 on Pesto Cavatappi. Her reaction to the home cooked pasta? 'You've ruined it for me, mom. I can't go back to N&co because you made it sooo good!'. Thanks for the recipe, Christina. (and oh, we don't use alcohol in our house, so I replaced the wine with chicken stock).

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