Express Pesto Presto Pasta—Lunch for 2
“Express Pesto Presto Pasta” is a quick and easy Italian lunch dish. It features pasta tossed in a vibrant, homemade pesto sauce. This recipe requires less than 30 minutes to prepare, making it perfect for those seeking a fast yet flavorful meal. No specific dietary restrictions or health conditions apply.
Do This With That Stuff
- ‘Fill the large pot with water and place it on the stove over high heat
- Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add a generous pinch of salt
- Add 200g spaghetti pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking
- While the pasta is cooking, gather your food processor or blender, and add 2 cups of tightly packed fresh basil leaves, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup of pine nuts, and 2 peeled garlic cloves into it
- Pulse the ingredients in the food processor or blender until they are coarsely chopped
- With the food processor or blender running, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil through the feed tube until the pesto is thoroughly pureed
- Add salt and pepper to taste, then pulse a few more times to combine
- Once the pasta is cooked, use a colander to drain it, reserving some pasta water for later use if needed
- Return drained pasta back into the large pot off heat
- Pour your freshly made pesto over the cooked spaghetti pasta in the pot and use a spatula to gently toss until all strands are well coated with pesto If needed, add some reserved pasta water to loosen up sauce and make it cling better to pasta
- Transfer your Express Pesto Presto Pasta into a serving dish ready for lunch’
Obvious and Not So Obvious Variations and Pairings
☕ Bitter
- Increase fresh basil leaves to 2.5 cups
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- Replace pine nuts with 1/3 cup of walnuts
- Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
- Increase garlic to 3 cloves
🧂 Salty
- Increase Parmesan cheese to 3/4 cup
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to pesto
- Include 1/4 cup of olives, chopped, to pasta
- Add 2 tablespoons of capers to pasta
🍋 Sour
- ‘Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- Add 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
- Reduce extra-virgin olive oil to 1/3 cup
- Increase Parmesan cheese to 3/4 cup’
🌶️ Spicy
- Add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- Increase garlic to 3 cloves
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- Include 1 small diced jalapeno to the pesto mixture
🍬 Sweet
- Add 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of honey to the pesto mix
- Replace pine nuts with 1/3 cup of sweet almonds
- Increase Parmesan cheese to 3/4 cup
🍄 Umami
- ‘Increase Parmesan cheese to 3/4 cup
- Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of dried porcini mushroom powder
- Add 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast’
🍸 Alcoholic
- ‘Pinot Grigio: Its light and crisp flavor profile complements the fresh and herbal notes of the pesto
- Chianti: The earthy tones of this wine balance the richness of Parmesan and olive oil in the dish
- Limoncello: This Italian lemon liqueur provides a sweet and citrusy finish, cutting through the heaviness of the pasta’
🥤 Non Alcoholic
- ‘Sparkling Water with Lemon: The bubbles and citrus notes can help cleanse the palate between bites of the rich pesto pasta
- Italian Soda, Blood Orange Flavor: The sweet and tangy flavor of this soda can balance out the savory and creamy taste of the pasta
- Chilled Green Tea: The slight bitterness of green tea can complement the nutty and cheesy flavors in the pesto’
🥓 Keto
- ‘Remove 200g spaghetti pasta
- Add 200g zucchini noodles (zoodles)
- Increase the Parmesan cheese to 3/4 cup
- Increase the pine nuts to 1/2 cup’
🍆 Mediterranean
- ‘Replace spaghetti pasta with whole grain pasta
- Replace Parmesan cheese with Feta cheese
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Add 1/4 cup of chopped Kalamata olives
- Replace pine nuts with walnuts
- Add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
- Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice’
🥑 Paleo
- ‘Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g zucchini noodles (zoodles)
- Remove 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Replace 1/3 cup pine nuts with 1/3 cup walnuts’
🐟 Pescatarian
- Add 200g of cooked shrimp
🌱 Vegan
- Replace Parmesan cheese with 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- Add 1/2 cup of soaked and drained cashews
🥦 Vegetarian
- Replace Parmesan cheese with 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
🥩 Whole30
- ‘Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g zucchini noodles
- Remove 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Replace 1/3 cup pine nuts with 1/3 cup almonds
- Add 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast to replace the cheesy flavor from Parmesan cheese’
🧠 Brain Health
- ‘Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g whole grain spaghetti pasta
- Replace 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- Increase 1/3 cup pine nuts to 1/2 cup pine nuts
- Add 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds
- Add 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts’
🌾 Celiac Disease
- Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g gluten-free spaghetti pasta
💩 Crohns Disease
- ‘Replace spaghetti pasta with gluten-free pasta
- Replace Parmesan cheese with lactose-free cheese
- Remove garlic cloves
- Replace pine nuts with walnuts
- Decrease extra-virgin olive oil to 1/3 cup’
🩸 Diabetes
- ‘Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g whole grain spaghetti pasta
- Decrease the extra-virgin olive oil to 1/4 cup
- Replace 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with 1/4 cup reduced-fat Parmesan cheese
- Add 1 cup of chopped zucchini to the pesto ingredients’
🍞 Gluten Intolerance
- Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g gluten-free spaghetti pasta
🫀 Heart Disease
- ‘Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g whole grain spaghetti pasta
- Decrease the Parmesan cheese to 1/4 cup
- Replace 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and add 1/4 cup of water while blending the pesto
- Remove salt from the recipe
- Replace pine nuts with walnuts for a heart-healthy alternative’
❤️ Heart Health
- ‘Replace spaghetti pasta with whole grain pasta
- Decrease extra-virgin olive oil to 1/3 cup
- Replace Parmesan cheese with low-fat Parmesan cheese
- Add 1 cup of chopped spinach to the pesto ingredients
- Increase fresh basil leaves to 2.5 cups’
🧂 High Blood Pressure
- ‘Remove Salt to taste
- Replace 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with 1/4 cup low-sodium Parmesan cheese
- Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g whole grain spaghetti pasta
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped spinach to the pesto ingredients’
🍔 High Cholesterol
- ‘Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g whole wheat pasta
- Replace 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with 1/4 cup low-fat Parmesan cheese
- Replace 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- Add 1 cup of steamed broccoli florets’
🦠 Immune System
- ‘Replace spaghetti pasta with 200g whole wheat pasta
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped spinach to the basil leaves in the food processor or blender
- Replace 1/3 cup pine nuts with 1/3 cup almonds
- Add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger to the food processor or blender
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric to the food processor or blender’
🚽 Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- ‘Replace spaghetti pasta with 200g gluten-free pasta
- Replace 2 cloves garlic with 1/2 teaspoon garlic-infused oil
- Remove pine nuts
- Replace Parmesan cheese with 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- Decrease extra-virgin olive oil to 1/4 cup’
💧 Kidney Disease
- ‘Replace spaghetti pasta with whole wheat pasta
- Replace Parmesan cheese with low-sodium cheese
- Remove salt from the recipe
- Decrease the extra-virgin olive oil to 1/4 cup
- Replace pine nuts with unsalted almonds’
🐄 Lactose Intolerance
- ‘Replace Parmesan cheese with 1/2 cup of lactose-free cheese, grated’
🍺 Liver Disease
- ‘Replace 200g spaghetti pasta with 200g whole wheat spaghetti pasta
- Decrease the Parmesan cheese to 1/4 cup
- Replace 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Remove salt from the recipe
- Replace 2 cloves garlic with 1 clove garlic’
🤰 Pregnancy
- Replace Parmesan cheese with pasteurized hard cheese
- Replace pine nuts with toasted almonds
Beti’s Reflections
Picture this: I’m strolling through the cobblestone streets of a quaint Italian village, the aroma of fresh basil wafting through the air. Suddenly, I stumble upon a charming little trattoria where an elderly Nonna shares her secret to a quick and flavorful lunch dish – Express Pesto Presto Pasta. This homemade Italian cuisine was love at first bite!
Today, I’m thrilled to share with you this easy pesto pasta recipe that serves two. It’s perfect for those who crave authentic Italian pesto pasta but are short on time. No specific dietary restrictions or health conditions apply here, just pure indulgence.
This homemade pesto spaghetti is all about fresh and vibrant ingredients: 200g of spaghetti pasta, 2 cups of tightly packed fresh basil leaves, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup of pine nuts, 2 peeled garlic cloves, and a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. The basil lends a refreshing note while the Parmesan adds a salty depth to the dish. Pine nuts offer a subtle crunch and richness that pairs perfectly with the sharpness of garlic. Lastly, extra-virgin olive oil ties everything together into one harmonious sauce.
To whip up this quick Italian pasta recipe, start by boiling your spaghetti until it’s al dente – that’s Italian for “to the tooth”, meaning it should be firm when bitten. While your pasta cooks away, pulse together basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and garlic in your food processor until coarsely chopped. Then slowly pour in your olive oil until you have a beautifully pureed pesto sauce – our DIY extra virgin olive oil pesto sauce! Season with salt and pepper to taste before tossing it with your cooked spaghetti.
And there you have it – Express Pesto Presto Pasta! A simple and fast Italian cooking recipe that brings out the best flavors from each ingredient without any fuss at all! So next time you’re looking for quick lunch ideas with pasta or healthy pasta dishes to try at home, remember our easy basil pesto pasta recipe! It’s not just about eating; it’s about experiencing Italy right in your kitchen!
Remember folks; good food is all about passion and simplicity – just like our Express Pesto Presto Pasta Recipe! So go ahead and whip up some magic in your kitchen today!
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