Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

• Durum wheat fusilli (or pasta of choice)
• Parmesan cheese (Vegetarian alternative: Quattrocento cheese)
• Fresh Mozzarella (optional)
• Green (or black) olives
• Tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Cashew nuts
• Basil leaves
• Lemon
• Coriander leaves
• Thyme leaves
• Parsley leaves
• Garlic
• Jalapenos (optional)

Quantity guide

Procedure

Pesto Sauce

1. Roast around 300g cashew nuts and leave to cool down.
2. Wash Basil leaves.
3. Peel one clove of garlic.
4. Cut one quarter of a lemon and discard peel.
5. Cut 75g of parmesan.
6. Add all of the above to a mixer grinder.
7. Add oil and salt to mixer grinder.
8. Crush everything. Pesto sauce is ready!

Tomato sauce

1. Add tomatoes to boiling water.
2. Remove after 1 minute and immediately immerse in cold water.
3. Peel tomatoes and crush by hand.
4. Add olive oil to cooking pot and heat oil.
5. Add thyme leaves to oil.
6. Add tomatoes to cooking pot.
7. Add salt.
8. Cover and leave to cook till tomato sauce thickens.
9. Finely cut coriander and parsley leaves.
10. Turn off flame and add coriander and parsley leaves. Tomato sauce is ready!

Pasta

1. Finely chop garlic cloves.
2. Dice olives.
3. Crush 75g parmesan into powder using the mixer grinder.
4. Add fusilli (or pasta of choice) to boiling water.
5. Add salt.
6. Boil pasta for at least 15 mins or until cooked.
7. Drain water.
8. Add oil to wok and fry garlic.
9. Add fusilli and pesto sauce to wok.
10. Stir fry for a few minutes.
11. Serve hot on plate.
12. Add tomato sauce to plate.
13. Garnish with diced olives, diced jalapenos and crushed parmesan.
14. Enjoy your homemade pesto pasta!