Parsley Pesto Pasta
Hi everyone. How was your weekend, keeping in mind that Sunday is when the weekend ends in most parts of the world, unlike us. Not so in middle east. Over here Friday is the official Sunday, accompanied by either Thursday or Saturday. It certainly took me a while to accept Sunday as a working day. There are still days when I wonder why so many movies are coming on the entertainment/ family channels of India on a weekday and other days when I get up early on Friday to the breakfast "on time". I believe somethings are just too deep rooted in our systems to be changed easily. But one thing that's surely changing in our life are the eating habits. So yes while I grew up on "Paratha- Bhujiya", "Puri-Sabji" and "Aloo-Sandwich" as breakfast or tiffin, I am more open to new recipes and variations. One such new addition to our pasta dish was pesto, a much acclaimed sauce.
Pesto means to ground and is traditionally made by grounding basil, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil in a mortar & pestle. But then there are people like us who prefer taking shortcuts and making substitutions. So this is not really the most authentic recipe, but yet an easy and tasty one.
Parsley Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
2 cup pasta of your choice (I prefer using penne or elbow pasta)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley (washed & roughly chopped)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt & Pepper - as per taste
1/2 cup grated cheese - (I used parmesan)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley (washed & roughly chopped)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt & Pepper - as per taste
1/2 cup grated cheese - (I used parmesan)
Method:
- In a food processor, process walnuts, oil, parsley, garlic, half of cheese, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid, then drain pasta in colander
- If the pesto sauce is too thick, add reserved liquid little by little. Add pasta and toss well to combine.
- Top it with cheese and serve hot
Note - Adding breadcrumbs in the pesto-walnut sauce is also suggested. Will try it next time and let you know how it was.
Now I know another way to eat my walnut, thanks to "Drive me nuts" event. Also sending it as my first entry to Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted by Slaphappykitchen.
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