Basil Pesto Pasta
Basil pesto is delicious on any pasta. We serve it on shells tonight as a side, topped with heirloom tomatoes. Yum! Originally served as part of: Grilled Chicken and Pesto Pasta.
- Basil Pesto Pasta with Dried Tomatoes (January 29, 2003)
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound medium shells pasta
- salt
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 small Heirloom tomato (diced)
Instructions
We place a large pot of water on the stove over high heat for the pasta. When the water boils, we add some salt and the pasta. We stir and cook according until al dente, about 15 minutes.
Just before draining the pasta into a colander, we remove about 1/4 cup of pasta water. We drain the pasta, put back in the pot, and then stir in the pesto and a little water at a time to create a sauce (we do not use all of the pasta water). We serve and top with tomatoes.
Ingredients
- ¼ lb medium shells
- salt
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- 1 small heirloom tomato (diced)
Instructions
What's a kid job?
A Kid job is a step kids can help with, with a grown-up nearby, not one they do on their own. Every kid is different, so go by what your child can do rather than by age. Roughly:
- Little ones (about 2 to 4) can stir, pour in ingredients a grown-up has measured, tear lettuce, wash vegetables and sprinkle toppings.
- Older kids (about 5 to 8) can also measure and level, crack eggs, whisk, roll and cut out dough, and put things together.
- Bigger kids can read the recipe aloud, keep track of the timer, and take on more of the cooking as they're ready.
Steps with a knife, microplane, skewers, stove, oven, grill or hot oil, or with raw meat, poultry or seafood, are marked Grown-up. Kids can still watch those, from a safe distance.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, salt it, and cook the pasta until al dente (about 15 minutes). Save about ¼ cup of pasta water and drain.
Kid job
Back in the pot, stir in the pesto with a little pasta water at a time to make a sauce. Serve topped with the tomato.