Name: Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 box of Rotini Pasta; 1 medium Onion, cubed; 1 small Red Capsicum, cubed; 1/2 cup Homemade Basil pesto; 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red chili flakes ((adjust accordingly)); Salt to taste; 1 tablespoon Olive oil

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Enjoy this one pot meal prepared with homemade basil pesto and combined with caramelized onion and red bell pepper. Kid-friendly and makes a great school lunch, hot or cold ! Can even be made for a pot luck dinner or picnic parties. Combination of pesto and Rotini pasta gives this dish a subtle nutty flavor,very delicious, and tasty. You can choose any kind of pasta to make this dish – use wheat Rotini for healthier options. Adding onions and red bell pepper provided that extra crunch and I think without the extra veggies it would have been kind of dull.

For this recipe I didn’t drain the pasta rather I used a slotted spoon/strainer to transfer the boiled pasta right into another skillet which was used to assemble the pasta. This way pasta was all smeared up in pesto sauce. Once pasta is tossed in the sauce, reserve some of its water (boiled pasta water) and add it to the finished pasta. As pasta will dry out if allowed to stand for a longer time period.

Play around with the ingredients, add more seasonal veggies or extra pesto for a more flavorful and creamier pasta. Spoon out some toasted breadcrumbs on top to add texture. Nothing fancy, incredibly quick, mild in flavor and above all very easy to make. All the bowls were licked clean and kids were up for a second serving 🙂

Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Enjoy a delicious pasta cooked with 5 basic ingredients right off your pantry/Fridge

Prep: 10

Cook: 15

Total: 25

Servings: PEOPLE

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INGREDIENTS

▢ 1 box of Rotini Pasta
▢ 1 medium Onion, cubed
▢ 1 small Red Capsicum, cubed
▢ 1/2 cup Homemade Basil pesto
▢ 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red chili flakes (adjust accordingly)
▢ Salt to taste
▢ 1 tablespoon Olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Before we begin prep up all the ingredients.
Place pasta in a pan filled 3/4 with water..
Drizzle some olive oil and add salt. Bring it to a boil and cook as per package instructions.
Once boiled, allow it to sit in water for a while. Do not drain it.
Heat a pan and dry roast the veggies till they are caramelized.
Keep them aside.
When ready to mix; using a strainer drop the pasta from the boiling pot to a fresh pan.
Add red chilies and salt..
Mix in Pasta sauce..
Mix till it's well blended. Adjust your seasonings.
Add in the caramelized veggies..
And give it a final toss.
Serve it in a bowl. I find bowls make it easier option to serve when it comes to pasta 🙂

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.

Author: Ruchi