Pesto

Pesto (without cheese)

The easiest way to produce a pasta is by using a pesto. To make the paste, you first use a Food Processor to chop herbs, nuts and spices together, you then add oil. The mixture can be kept in the fridge for those days when you return home desperate for a meal but too tired to cook. A few teaspoons of pesto paste mixed through freshly boiled pasta is usually sufficient. Do not be too generous as pesto is a powerful ingredient. Here are some suggestions: 

Classic Basil

1/2 clove garlic

basil leaves

pine nuts that have been roasted 

A squeeze of lemon

Some salt to taste

Olive oil (extra virgin)

Chop and mix all ingredients in Food Processor. (Be careful not to chop too finely)

Quantities are often a matter of taste but usually the nuts are no more that 1/3 of the paste. Vary the amount of oil by looking at the mix.

Other ingredients may be used. Substitute basil with other herbs or leaves. You can also use combinations - Americans sometimes use rocket. You could also try mint and baby spinach. What about sun-dried tomato (be careful to use tomatoes that are not soaked in oil - use you own oil to soften the tomatoes overnight). You can also use green olives (be careful of the oil used). I have made pesto with slivered almonds rather than pine nuts. You could try walnuts. Why not put chilli in a pesto?