Green Pesto Pasta
Rated 5 stars by 1 users
Category
Meat-free Meals
Servings
4
Prep Time
2 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Calories
360
Pesto pasta is one of the simplest and quickest pasta to make, but it tastes very delicious. It's fresh, fragrant and comfort food at its best. This is a classic version, but you can also enjoy it cold as salad and add chicken, sundried tomatoes and olives.
Isabelle Dunn
Ingredients
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1 cup homemade pesto
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350g dry pasta
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1 tbsp salt
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1/2 cup starchy cooking water
Directions
Bring water to the boil in a large pan and add the salt. Cook pasta as per pack instructions.
When the pasta is cooked, drain most of the water but save 1/2 cup.
Transfer the cooked pasta to a bowl, add pesto and starchy water. Mix well.
Recipe Video
Recipe Note
Why use cooking water?
The salty, starchy water not only adds flavor but helps loosen the pasta and pesto sauce to blend together;
Can I use store-bought pesto?
It works but if you have the time, homemade pesto is insanely delicious!
Is homemade pesto healthier than store-bought?
While it is rather high in calories and fat because of the olive oil and pine nuts, pesto is packed with nutrients that many other sauces lack. Ingredients include olive oil, pine nuts, fresh basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Store bought versions tend to use canola oil, with much higher level of salt and preservatives.