Looking for a great pasta recipe? Try this insanely delicious creamy pesto pasta with vegetables. It is a robust, scrumptious, pungent, easy to throw together in no time dish. And delicious and comforting in every bite.
Italian cuisine has blossomed through the ages with roots that are age old. Nouvelle cuisine relies mostly on the quality of ingredients and their freshness & presentation rather than quantity. Fusion cuisine is one that combines ingredients and cooking methods from different culinary traditions. This type of cuisine cannot be classified into any one category but plays a big part in several innovations.
Here, our Creamy Pesto Sauce Pasta combines with the tender spaghetti and vegetables to add that crunchy flavour. We created a twist on the classic traditional dish by adding a variety of vegetables to be a vehicle for a creamy pesto sauce. The sauce coats it perfectly, thus making it a perfect family meal that will satisfy you in every bite. Make your basil pesto fresh though.
Serves: 4
Ingredients Needed:
1) 200 grams Spaghetti
2) 4 Garlic cloves
3) 1pinch of sea salt
4) Salt and pepper as required
5) 1 pinch of crushed pepper
6) 30g fresh basil leaves,
7) 20g of blanched spinach leaves
8) 20g pine nuts (chilgoza peeled)
9) 50g Parmesan cheese
10) 40g of mozzarella cheese
11) 80ml Olive Oil & additional 2Tbsp
12) 1 Tsp crushed red chill flakes
13) 2 ½ Tsp fresh cream,
14) Squeeze of a lemon
15) Big pinch of lemon zest
16) 10-12 corn kernels
17) 5-6 cherry tomatoes
18) Broccoli 4 flowerets
Method:
Sauce:
1. Toast the pine nuts in a skillet on medium heat. They give the pesto a very specific taste that just can’t be replicated by other nuts and their flavour is incredible.
2. In a food processor, add pine nuts, salt, 25g Parmesan and 20g of Mozzarella Cheese and 2 cloves of Garlic and grind it for 5-7 seconds.
3. Add basil leaves, blanched spinach, pepper and 80ml of olive oil and grind to a coarse paste gradually. But not too flowy, go just until well combined. Don’t overdo it while grinding – the heat of the machine may turn the pesto bitter.
The pesto-spinach sauce is ready.
Pasta:
1. Fill a large pot with water, sprinkle in some salt and olive oil, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy water for further use and drain the rest of the water. Cook pasta till al dente; firm to bite and cooked properly.
2. Bring to boil corn kernels and broccoli florets till half cooked,
3. In a large skillet with high sides, preheat the 2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add finely chopped 2 cloves of Garlic and red chilli flakes, saute for about 30 seconds,
4. Add the cherry tomatoes cut into half along with a pinch of salt, add the corn kernels and broccoli flowerets, and saute for an additional 30-40 seconds.
5. Add the cream and reduce the heat to medium-low and saute for 1 minute
6. Add the pesto sauce to the skillet and add ½ cup of the starchy water of the pasta that was reserved. Cook for a minute until mixed properly,
7. Add the cooked drained spaghetti to the creamy pesto sauce and toss to mix everything together. If you need to thin out the pesto a bit, then add a little of the starchy cooking water to reach desired consistency. Cook on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes
8. Transfer on to a serving plate and garnish it with leftover Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, pine nuts, fresh basil leaves and a little splash of olive oil on top.
9. Serve right away or cover and pop it in the fridge for a bit, so all the flavors can develop further.
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