Pesto Pasta!
I think pesto is super underrated. It’s really easy to do, and you can play fun game of beat the clock - can you get your sauce done before the noodles?
I’ve tried pesto sauce a few ways, different ratios and different nuts. I like the traditional pine nut pesto with basil the best. I find that walnuts give it kind-of a chalky texture, and other greens aren’t as flavorful. I also like this recipe because you just have to remember the number 4, pretty much everything is either 4 cups, 4 tablespoons, 4 cloves, etc.
Ingredients
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: Approx. 1 lb of pasta
4 cups basil (roughly chopped)
4 tbs toasted pine nuts
4 cloves garlic
1c extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt
4 tbs parmesan cheese (grated)
4 tbs pecorino romano cheese (grated)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons pasta water
1lb pasta
Preparation
Boil your water for the pasta and cook. Normally, you would cook slightly under done and then finish in a pan. I don’t do that with this recipe. I cook it until it’s the doneness that I’m going for and then combine with the sauce at room temperature. If you try to finish this one in the pan it will separate - gross!
In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and a large pinch of salt. Process until smooth. Note, it will be more runny than you would expect, that’s ok.
Pour contents into a mixing bowl and add the grated cheese, stir to combine.
When the pasta has finished, add the pasta, pasta water, and butter. Mix it all together until combined. Enjoy!
This dish does not reheat well, it’s best enjoyed right after cooking.
