Barilla is honestly a staple brand in my house. That blue-labeled beauty graces every cart I fill in the store and every food cupboard in my kitchen. When the opportunity to work with my favorite companies MomsMeet and Barilla came across, I knew I had to jump on board! Barilla's Creamy Genovese Pesto came in like a super hero two days after I attempted to make a creamy pesto and somehow failed so bad we had to trash the dish because it was awful. It was like the Universe knew. As always, please note that while I received product and compensation for this product review, all opinions are of my own and with the utmost honesty.

Barilla's Creamy Genovese takes the hastle of trying to make your own creamy pesto to add to any dish. You can have it hot or cold, with your breakfast, lunch or dinner. Yes, you can absolutely use it in lieu of avocado on toast and it is SO GOOD! Barilla's Creamy Genovese features Italian basil and cheese imported from Parm, Italy, and has a very smooth texture (no chunks here). It's very flavorful, which means all the tastes you love of regular pesto doesn't get lost in the creaminess that gets added in!

The bottles of Creamy Genovese are the perfect amount and cost every time (I've not seen it in my area for more than $3); one (1) 6.2-ounce bottle can be perfectly paired with a 16-ounce box of Barilla pasta. There's no need to buy a giant jar of a sauce that you only use 1/3-1/2 of and the rest molds over in the back of your fridge. For under $10, you could throw together a lovely dinner for 4 people without breaking a sweat. Barilla is such a staple brand that even the Creamy Genovese is available almost everywhere you shop: Target, Safeway, Publix, Meijer, Vons, and more. Click here to see where you can find a bottle of Creamy Genovese at a store near you!

Check out this recipe below of how I used Barilla's Creamy Genovese (purchased at my local Target), to create an amazingly easy Pesto Penne dinner!

Barilla Creamy Genovese Penne Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Pot
Measuring Cups
Cutting board and knife

Ingredients

1 6.2 oz bottle Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto
1 16 oz. box Barilla Penne Pasta
3 tbsps Sun-dried Tomatoes roughly chopped
Parmesan cheese (optional; for topping)
olive oil

Instructions

Bring a medium or large pot of water to boil. Roughly chop enough sun-dried tomatoes to equal about three (3) tablespoons. You can add more or less to your liking. (For those more new to cooking, roughly chop basically means cut pieces down to around bite-sized pieces. You don't want them too small or too big, and you don't have to worry about them being symmetrical as if you were dicing or mincing.)
Once the water is boiling, add your box of Barilla Penne pasta. Cook for 11-12 minutes. Transfer your pasta to a bowl.
Lower heat to medium-low (or level 4) and add your sun-dried tomatoes and a small drizzle of olive oil (just enough to coat the sun-dried tomatoes without having a ton of excess oil) to the pot and cook for about 2-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove pot from heat.
Add a whole jar of Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto and your cooked penne back into the still hot pot. Stir until everything is well combined and warmed through.
Add your Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto Penne dish to your favorite bowls, top with a little bit of finely shredded or shaved parmesan cheese, and serve!