Creamy Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe

At times, we need to indulge in very simple & tasty food right, which saves our cooking time & at the same time makes our heart & tummy full ! This pasta always does that to me. A busy eve when you do not have time to cook an elaborate dinner or a lazy afternoon & craving for some quick lunch? Try this then !! Having shared the Basil Pesto recipe with you, I thought I should share this simple pasta recipe too. Check here for tips on how to cook pasta. Enjoy :)

I Took: 20 minutes

Serves: 1 person

I Used:

Pasta (I used Penne) - 1 cup Basil Pesto - ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese - ¼ cup Olive Oil - 2 tsp Salt - As Needed Pepper - As Needed

The Way:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat
2. Add the basil pesto & stir it
3. Once the pesto is warm add the parmesan cheese & mix. You can add the pasta boiled water if required to thin out the sauce
4. Add the pasta & mix well so that the sauce is incorporated. Add salt & pepper to taste

Cheers,

Chitz

Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe

Some days I do not like to cook elaborate meals. Then I stick on to easy, ready to make dishes. This basil pesto sauce is one among them. I mostly use it for pasta but you can very well use them in a variety of ways. Spread it on a bruschetta or as an appetizer dip or use it as a spread or chutney for your sandwich. You can also mix it up with some mayonnaise to use up as a salad dressing or use as a spread or dip for your grilled chicken !! The uses are many & it's an effortless recipe :) Great right? 

I have some freshly growing basil sprigs on my window sill & I had been waiting for them to grow up to a considerable height so that I can use them. And now my emotions are that of a happy little kid :D This pesto sauce can be refrigerated for a week. Store them in air tight containers then. Alternately, it can also be freezed for upto six months.

Recipe Source: Adapted from here

I Took: 10 minutes

Makes: ¼ cup

I Used:

Fresh Basil leaves	-	¼ cup
Walnuts/Pine Nuts	-	4 tsp (I used Walnuts)
Garlic	-	1 clove
Grated Parmesan Cheese	-	2 tbsp
Olive Oil	-	2 tbsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Add walnuts/pine nuts & garlic in a blender/mixer. Pulse it till crushed
2. Add the fresh basil leaves to it & blend again
3. Add olive oil and give it a quick pulse. Finally add the grated Parmesan cheese & salt and blend or pulse to your desired consistency
4. I like it smooth rather than crunchy, so I blend it to a smooth paste. You can add water if necessary for the consistency 

Use as desired :)

Cheers, 

Chitz

Baked Chicken Pasta

Pasta cooked with chicken, capsicum and baked with cheese

It was a lazy morning.. You must be wondering, usually stories begin with 'It was a lazy afternoon', yes, but for me it began in the morning itself ;) So I was on a movie marathon spree. It was in the middle of the 3rd movie I guess that hunger struck me. And since I had all cuddled up nicely on the sofa with lethargy at its heights, I was on high Italian cravings. Pasta and chicken and cheese melting within. Lo, I was ready for action.. Cooking time :D What nice way to boost your lethargy than with baked pasta, rite ?? I had previously done a lot of research on pasta cooking and after two or three unsuccessful attempts, I succeeded in getting it right. So I thought I should share with you all :) Don't look scared with the list down there. Just a few tips, so that you get it right at your first attempt :)

How to cook pasta 

• Boil water. Add in salt for the extra flavor
• Most of the brands/institutes specify the ratio of water-pasta-salt as 1000 gm-100 gm-1 tsp. However, the idea is to have enough water to cover the pasta a little over, so that it is convenient enough to stir them.  
• Cover the pan and allow water to come to a boil. Once it starts boiling you can uncover 
• Add the pasta now
• Stir and check every now and then till al dente 
• Different brands and shapes of pasta have different cooking times. And usually this will be listed in the pasta cover/box. 
• Hence do not mix leftovers of one with another. This can turn into a mess
• The time listed will be quite accurate. Hence stick to it
• Al dente means to be cooked to firm but not hard. This means 'to the tooth' in Italian. It is thoroughly cooked but still offers resistance while chewing. In effect not too hard and not too soft
• Stirring the pasta is very important, especially in the beginning when you add the pasta, because they tend to clutter together as the first layer begins to soften and release starch
• Later on have some occassional stirs to ensure that they stay separate
• Strain using a colander or strainer

Recipe for Baked Chicken Pasta

I took: 1 hour

Serves: 1 person

I Used:

Pasta (I used Penne)  -  1 cup  Pasta Sauce         -  5 tbsp Chicken              - 100 gm - Boneless & chopped Onion                 - 1 no - medium sized - Diced Capsicum            - 1 no - medium sized - Diced Garlic                 - 3 cloves Basil                   - ½ tsp Rosemary            - ½ tsp Cinnamon            - An inch piece Olive oil              - 3 tsp Mozarella cheese  - As garnish to cover the pasta Pepper powder    - As needed Salt                     - As needed

The Way:

1. For this recipe, cook the pasta just before al dente. A minute less than the time specified in the pack
2. In a pan, heat olive oil
3. Add garlic and cinnamon and saute
4. Add the chicken pieces, basil and rosemary and saute till the chicken is half done
5. Then add the onion and capsicum and saute 
6. Add the pasta sauce and stir 
7. Add pepper powder and salt and stir well 
8. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
9. Lay the pasta in a ovenproof dish and sprinkle over mozarella cheese
10. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving

Cheers,

Chitz