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Pasta al Pesto
adapted by Eve from The 15-Minute Vegetarian Gourmet, Paulette Mitchell
Here is a versatile, easy supper idea, which is even easier if you already have pesto and walnut parm on hand.
230 g 8 oz. pasta
120 ml1/2 c. basil pesto (see below)
3 carrots, thinly sliced
6-8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
several scallions or slices of any onion
120 ml1/2 c. peas
For the pesto:
470 ml2 c. fresh basil leaves
59 ml1/4 c. pine nuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts (I used raw cashews)
2 cloves garlic
15 ml1 T. olive oil
1 ml1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
For garnish, Walnut Parm:
240 ml1 c. walnuts
44 ml3 T. nutritional yeast
5 ml1 tsp. salt
To make the Walnut Parm, combine walnuts, nutritional yeast and salt in a food processor. Pulse to a grated cheese texture. Set aside (makes 1 cup).
To prepare the pesto, place basil leaves, nuts, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside (makes 1/2 cup).
Boil a large pot of water; cook pasta until al dente.
In a skillet, heat oil. Add veggies and stir continuously until crisp-tender.
Drain pasta and add to the skillet, along with the pesto. Stir together and serve from the pan
OR---combine pasta and pesto in a serving bowl, then stir in veggies.
At the table, sprinkle with walnut parm to taste.
It's fine to substitute whatever vegetables you have around.
For extra flavor in the pesto, toast the nuts. For extra smoothness, add another tablespoon of olive oil. For convenience, you may want to make a large batch of pesto and freeze it in half-cup portions.
You will only want a spoonful or two of walnut parm on your pasta. It's handy to keep the rest in a sealed container in your freezer, ready for any pasta dish.
Dec. '10--tonight I added a little frozen corn and 1/3 cup cooked French lentils with good results.