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Let’s talk less about the pasta and more about the pesto – after all that’s what makes this red pesto pasta special 🙂
Pesto has as interestingly long history – in various guises it can trace its roots back to the Ancient Roman age.
The word pesto comes from the original Genoese pestâ, and it means to pound or crush.
Technically speaking, anything can be called pesto if it’s ground or crushed, but pesto as we know it is certainly the tastiest.
It was traditionally made in a mortar and pestle – hence the name ( 1 ).
Modern day pesto is believed to have come from an ancient Roman dish called moretum – a healthy mix of garlic, nuts, cheese, salt and oil. It was also made in a mortar and pestle ( 2 ).
Basil only became a well-documented ingredient in as recently as the latter half of the 1800s.
Since then countless variations have been with different varieties of nuts, garlic, oil and often but not always cheese.
Pesto Rosso , or red pesto , which is what this pasta meal is based on, is relatively new and the primary ingredient is tomato.
We have basil in our red pesto , but no cheese. We also made a green pesto , which does have cheese, but no tomato. It could also be made without cheese.
Back to the red pesto pasta…
So why are we telling you all this? Well basically, if it’s been enjoyed for a couple of thousand years then it can’t be bad, right? 😉
In a nod to our experimental pesto-loving ancestors, we’ve created this simple yet delish red pesto pasta dish – we’ve added a handful of rocket for the nutritional benefits (hint: rocket rocks! ), and we couldn’t resist throwing in a few cherry tomatoes for that juicy, sweet crunch at the end.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds (or use whatever seeds you have around)
- 7 oz wholegrain spaghetti
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3-4 tbsp red pesto (See notes below to make your own!)
- 3 oz spinach (arugula also works)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Boil that spaghetti o’yours. 7 oz wholegrain spaghetti
- Dice the onion and fry it with olive oil in a pan on medium heat. 1 onion, 1 tsp olive oil
- While that’s cooking put the seeds in a frying pan and fry without oil. They’ll only take a minute or two so don’t let them burn! 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- Drain the cooked pasta then add it into the pan, mix in red pesto, spinach/arugula and a good handful of diced cherry tomatoes . 3-4 tbsp red pesto, 3 oz spinach, ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- Add a few splashes of water if you want it a bit creamier.
- For serving add a couple more cherry tomatoes as a garnish, and sprinkle over the sunflower seeds.
- Enjoy 🙂
NOTES
Nutrition
Red Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds (or use whatever seeds you have around)
- 7 oz ( 200 g ) wholegrain spaghetti
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3-4 tbsp red pesto (See notes below to make your own!)
- 3 oz ( 85 g ) spinach (arugula also works)
- ½ cup ( 75 g ) cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Boil that spaghetti o’yours.
- Dice the onion and fry it with olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
- While that’s cooking put the seeds in a frying pan and fry without oil. They’ll only take a minute or two so don’t let them burn!
- Drain the cooked pasta then add it into the pan, mix in red pesto, spinach/arugula and a good handful of diced cherry tomatoes .
- Add a few splashes of water if you want it a bit creamier.
- For serving add a couple more cherry tomatoes as a garnish, and sprinkle over the sunflower seeds.
- Enjoy :-)
