Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe: Crispy, Juicy Mexican Pork

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Slow cooker pork carnitas is the easiest path to the best tacos of your life: a pork shoulder rubbed with cumin and oregano, slow-cooked in orange and lime juice until it falls apart, then crisped in a hot pan until the edges turn golden and crackly. Juicy inside, crispy outside — that contrast is the whole point. The slow cooker does the hard work. Eight hours on low turns a tough shoulder meltingly tender, and the citrus in the cooking liquid keeps the pork bright instead of heavy. The real magic happens at the end: shred the pork, spread it in a screaming-hot skillet with a splash of its own cooking liquid, and let it sit undisturbed until the edges char. Do not skip that step — crisping is what makes carnitas carnitas. Crispy edges, juicy center — carnitas night done right. Recipe Info Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 8 hours (slow cooker, low) Total time: 8 hours 30 minutes Servings: 8 Calories: ~520 kcal per serving Pork, citrus and spice — carnitas starts h...
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Creamy Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe: Fresh Green Weeknight Dinner

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When dinner needs to be fast but still taste like you cared, creamy basil pesto pasta is hard to beat. Fresh basil blitzed with garlic, pine nuts and parmesan, loosened with a little cream and hot pasta water, and tossed through al dente pasta until every strand shines green — bright, garlicky and on the table in 20 minutes.

The trick is to keep the sauce off direct high heat. Warm cream and pasta water do the work, so the basil stays vivid instead of turning dull and the parmesan melts into a glossy coating rather than clumping. A handful of halved cherry tomatoes and extra parmesan at the end make it feel complete, not just quick.

A plate of creamy basil pesto pasta with grated parmesan, pine nuts and fresh basil leaves

Bright basil, garlic and parmesan tossed through hot pasta — weeknight dinner in 20 minutes.

Recipe Info

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Servings: 4
  • Calories: ~560 kcal per serving
Flat lay of creamy basil pesto pasta ingredients: fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, cream, dried pasta and cherry tomatoes

Fresh basil and a handful of pantry staples are all it takes for a vibrant green sauce.

Ingredients

  • 400 g / 14 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli or spaghetti)
  • 60 g / 2 cups fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 40 g / 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 50 g / 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
  • 80 ml / 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 180 ml / 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for the pasta water
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 200 g / 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, for the tomatoes (optional)
Close-up of a fork twirling creamy basil pesto pasta coated in glossy green sauce with parmesan shavings

Glossy, garlicky and green — pasta that clings to every strand.

Instructions

  1. Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta until just al dente according to the packet, usually 9–11 minutes. Before draining, scoop out 250 ml (1 cup) of the starchy pasta water and set it aside.
  2. Make the pesto: While the pasta cooks, blitz the basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in a food processor, drizzling in the olive oil until you have a thick, fairly smooth paste. Season with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Do not over-blend — a little texture is good.
  3. Warm the cream: In a large deep pan over low heat, warm the cream until it just begins to steam, about 2 minutes. Do not let it boil, or the sauce can split when the pesto goes in.
  4. Combine the sauce: Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the pesto, then loosen with splashes of the reserved pasta water until the sauce is glossy and coats a spoon. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon.
  5. Toss the pasta: Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss for 1–2 minutes over low heat until every piece is coated. Add more pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce tightens — it should cling, not pool.
  6. Add the tomatoes: Fold in the halved cherry tomatoes off the heat so they stay fresh and bright against the warm sauce. If you prefer them softened, warm them in a little olive oil for 2 minutes first.
  7. Serve: Divide between warm bowls, top with extra parmesan, a few torn basil leaves and a grind of black pepper, and serve immediately while the sauce is glossy.

Tips & Variations

  • Keep the basil bright. Blitz the pesto just before serving and keep it off high heat. Boiling basil pesto turns it dark and dull-tasting in seconds.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. Starchy pasta water is what turns pesto and cream into a silky sauce that clings instead of a thick paste that sits on top.
  • Toast the pine nuts lightly. A dry pan for 2–3 minutes, shaking often, deepens their flavour. Watch them closely — they go from golden to burnt very fast.
  • Swap the nuts. Walnuts, cashews or blanched almonds all work in place of pine nuts and are often cheaper; the basil and parmesan still carry the flavour.
  • Add protein. Grilled chicken, prawns or a tin of chickpeas tossed through at step 5 turn this into a heartier dinner without changing the sauce.
  • Make it dairy-free. Use a plant-based cream and nutritional yeast in place of parmesan; add an extra pinch of salt and lemon to keep the sauce savoury.
  • Use leftover pesto wisely. Extra pesto keeps for 3 days in the fridge under a thin layer of olive oil, or frozen in ice-cube trays for up to a month — perfect for the next quick pasta night.

Nutrition Note

Per serving, this creamy basil pesto pasta provides roughly 560 kcal, 16 g protein, 68 g carbohydrates and 26 g fat, with vitamin K and antioxidants from the fresh basil and calcium from the parmesan. It is an energy-dense comfort dinner; adding the cherry tomatoes and a side salad brings freshness and fibre that balance the richness nicely.

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FAQ

Can I make pesto without a food processor?

Yes — chop everything very finely by hand and pound it in a mortar if you have one. The texture will be more rustic, which suits this creamy version well.

Why did my pesto turn brown?

Heat and air are the usual culprits. Keep the sauce off a high flame, serve promptly, and press cling film directly onto stored pesto to limit air contact.

Can I use dried basil?

Not for this recipe. Fresh basil is the whole point of pesto; dried basil gives a flat, hay-like flavour that no amount of parmesan can rescue.

What pasta shape works best?

Short shapes with ridges or twists — penne, fusilli, farfalle — catch the creamy sauce best. Spaghetti works too, but toss it very thoroughly so the sauce coats evenly.

How long do leftovers keep?

Up to 2 days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of milk or water, stirring, to loosen the sauce; the basil colour will fade a little but the flavour holds up.

Try this creamy basil pesto pasta the next time dinner needs to be quick and still feel special — fresh basil, good parmesan and a glossy sauce in 20 minutes. If you make it, tell us in the comments which nut you used, and save this recipe for your next busy weeknight.

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