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Deconstructed Pesto Pasta

Deconstructed Pesto Pasta

2004-08-30 5 6 pasta, nuts, oil, basil, cheese, pepper dinnerleftoversitalianmain coursepastavegetarian

This is the very lazy way of making pasta with a pesto sauce! Leftover garlic and oil pasta gets a topping of torn basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, and shaved cheese, for the pesto flavor without the food processor sauce. Originally served as part of Mystery Pasta.

Deconstructed Pesto Pasta

Servings & Time

  • Serves: 2
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 5 min

Tools & Appliances

  • Bowl
  • Microwave
  • Peeler
  • Toaster Oven

Ingredients

  • 2 cups leftover, frozen, garlic and oil spaghetti pasta
  • 2 tablespoons frozen pine nuts nuts
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 10 leaves large, fresh basil (cleaned )
  • wedge Pecorino romano cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

We start by defrosting the leftover pasta in a large bowl, covered, in the microwave, on the defrost setting. Meanwhile, we toast the nuts on a piece of foil in the toaster oven at 350°. It takes a few minutes for the nuts to brown lightly, we need to be careful, of course, not to burn them!

When the nuts are toasted, we remove them from the toaster oven and let cool. We heat the pasta in the microwave for a minute at a time on full power until hot.

We serve each portion and top with pine nuts, drizzle with olive oil, tear on the basil, and freshly grate some cheese on top with our peeler. We finish at the table with freshly ground black pepper.