Takeaway pasta: Pesto Pasta – A Delicious Weeknight Dinner
Pesto takeaway pasta makes an elegant weeknight or dinner party meal, and this recipe includes homemade basil pesto and whole wheat pasta for optimal results.
Add fresh roasted tomatoes, mozzarella or burrata cheese, toasted pine nuts, salt, pepper and lemon juice for extra flavour and texture. Although this dish is vegetarian-friendly, meat lovers may easily adapt this dish.
What is pesto?
Pesto is a green sauce traditionally prepared from basil leaves, garlic cloves, pine nuts (or any nut such as walnuts or hazelnuts), olive oil and parmesan cheese. Basil adds an intense, herby flavour, while nuts and cheeses contribute texture and richness. Pesto pasta should typically be prepared using a mortar and pestle, but a food processor will do the trick just as effectively.
Pesto sauce can be used in many different applications: from pasta and gnocchi sauces to dips for vegetables or bread, salad dressing, pizza topping and sandwich spreading – it is a truly versatile condiment that can easily adapt to personal taste and dietary restrictions, including dairy or gluten allergies.
Pesto takeaway pasta sauce traditionally features basil leaves, but you can add other herbs like kale, spinach or arugula for an even healthier version. Furthermore, adding almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds makes for an interesting vegan alternative; traditional versions often include parmesan cheese that must be left out. When done right, the resultant sauce has less of a strong garlic taste while tasting more nutty and rich than store-bought varieties that contain preservatives; additionally, it uses herbs that would otherwise go to waste while celebrating local and seasonal produce!
How to make pesto
Homemade pesto requires key ingredients: basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. It is simple with a food processor or blender and takes only minutes. Nicole suggests toasting pine nuts before blending for extra crunchiness and added flavour – an optional step not called for by this particular recipe!
Add pesto sauce to cooked pasta and top it off with toasted pine nuts for a rich, earthy, delectable meal! Best yet, it pairs beautifully with any protein- or veggie-rich dish you can imagine; plus, it works great as a soup or salad dressing.
Can I eat pesto straight from the jar?
Traditional pesto takeaway pasta sauce combines basil, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan cheese for maximum flavour. However, variations on this classic combination include using different herbs or roast vegetables instead of cheese for vegan-friendly versions of pesto – adding an element of health into almost any dish!
Pesto is not only delicious; it is packed with nutrition. The herbs and nuts in their sauce provide heart-healthy monounsaturated fats to reduce bad cholesterol levels and blood pressure. At the same time, garlic and olive oil offer antioxidant protection from diseases like cancer or diabetes.
Purchasing store-bought pesto requires checking its expiration date and inspecting for signs of spoilage; rancid odour and colour indicate when pesto has gone bad.
When making homemade pesto sauce, fresh basil is key. While dried basil will work too, its flavour won’t compare with fresh. Also, make sure to use high-quality olive oil and Parmesan cheese; toasting pine nuts before using will give them more of a nutty taste. Finally, pair your pasta dish with plenty of vegetables, as this will balance out its richness!
What type of pasta should I use?
Pesto pairs well with nearly all varieties of pasta. Long-strand varieties like spaghetti, fettuccine and linguine work especially well as they hold sauces, while tubular shapes like fusilli and rigatoni also hold the sauce. Fusilli and rigatoni tubular shapes work especially well when served with pesto sauce; short pasta shapes such as farfalle (bow-tie pasta), trofie, cavatappi and rotini also provide great pairing opportunities!
HtE does not object to adding cheese to a pesto pasta dish; we believe it can enhance its flavour profile. However, care must be taken in selecting appropriate cheese varieties – marinated mozzarella or chalky feta can often clash and detract from fresh basil’s pure green flavours, while hard, tangy mature cheddar provides the ideal contrast against rich, green herb pesto dishes.
Pesto pairs perfectly with other pasta additions such as mushrooms, grilled chicken and toasted pine nuts – especially mushrooms with their earthy notes complemented by the creamy pasta and buttery textures of pesto. Furthermore, mushrooms can be further enhanced with extra depth by seasoning them with some sage, crushed garlic or even smoked paprika for even greater depth and complexity.