This Parsley Pesto Pasta is brightly colored and the blistering cherry tomatoes on top give the dish a pop of color and a sweet finish that compliments the ground garlic and Parmesan.
Apronese believes that as a healthy dish, there is no reason why we should refuse it, right? Delicious dishes and recipes are below, the decision is up to you, give it a try.
What’s in Parsley Pesto?
The fresh basil, Parmesan, olive oil, and pine nuts that make up fresh pesto are usually pretty expensive. I make my own budget pesto by swapping out basil for inexpensive parsley and skipping the pine nuts altogether.
As for the taste, I prefer Parmesan to walnut because it has enough nuttiness to give me the flavor I need. However, if you happen to have walnuts on hand, you may want to add a handful to the pesto for an even richer, nuttier taste.
In addition to the fresh lemon zest, the bottled lemon juice also provides quite a flavor boost to this parsley pesto, but if you do not have room in your budget for that, you can just use bottled juice and skip the zest altogether (I have done that in the past and it still tastes fine).
Put an Egg On It
As a matter of fact, I am known as “Put an egg on it” as I add eggs to just about everything I eat.
These are fast, easy, inexpensive proteins and they are exactly what this parsley pesto pasta needed to round it out and make it a complete meal. With this silky yolk combining with the pesto, you have a combination of flavor and texture that is unmatched.
If you are not a big fan of fried eggs, you can certainly add an egg to this dish in just about any way that you like. Soft boiled eggs would work wonderfully, or you could do scrambled eggs if you don’t like the runny yolk stuff.
Parsley Pesto Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes
It is a simple, delicious dish consisting of vibrant green parsley pesto pasta coupled with sweetness of blistered cherry tomatoes and the creamy yolk of a fried egg. Simple and delicious.
Servings: 5
Prep Time: 10 Mins/ Cook Time: 20 Mins/ Total Time 30 Mins
Ingredients
Parsley Pesto
- 1 bunch fresh parsley ($0.77)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan ($0.69)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.79)
- 6 Tbsp olive oil ($0.96)
Blistered Tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 2 pints grape tomatoes ($4.00)
- salt and pepper to taste ($0.05)
Bowls
- 1 lb. pasta (any shape) ($1.00)
- 5 fried eggs (optional) ($1.60)
Instructions
- Take the parsley leaves and remove them from the stems. Put them into a food processor with the Parmesan, garlic, salt, zest and juice from half of the lemon (about two tablespoons). Put the pesto on a serving plate and serve immediately. If you need a smooth paste, pulse the ingredients until they are finely chopped. While the processor is running, slowly add the olive oil through the spout until a smooth paste forms. Set the pesto aside to enjoy.
- The tomatoes should be added to a large skillet that has been heated over medium heat, then added to the skillet with one tablespoon of olive oil. When you add the tomatoes, tilt the skillet to cover the entire surface with oil and cook for seven to ten minutes, stirring occasionally. You must avoid stirring the tomatoes too often in order for them to blister on the hot skillet. During the cooking process, the tomatoes will burst and release juice that will thicken into a semi-sweet glaze. Add salt and pepper to your taste as necessary.
- As soon as the water has boiled for the paste, make sure the pasta has been drained in a colander and refilled with water. You will need to cook the pasta until al dente as specified on the package. Reserve a little bit of the starchy cooking water, and then drain the pasta. The paste should cool slightly before being returned to the pot (with the heat turned off). Once the pesto has been added, toss the pasta well. If the pasta is too dry or clumpy, sprinkle a little of the reserved cooking water on top to loosen it up.
- Using a soup ladle, divide the pasta among five bowls, top with a scoop of blistered cherry tomatoes, and drizzle each bowl with some of the sweet glaze from the skillet. Drizzle each bowl with a fried egg if you like.
Nutritional
Serving: 1Serving Calories: 631.58kcal Carbohydrates: 72.76g Protein: 21.58g Fat: 27.58g Sodium: 542.02mg Fiber: 3.82g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
How to Make Parsley Pesto Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes – Step by Step Photos
It is important that you start with the pesto so that when the pasta is finished cooking you can put it in immediately. Make sure that one bunch of parsley has been rinsed and drained well.
You will need to place the leaves into a food processor with 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and the zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 2 tablespoons of juice).
Power the ingredients on and off until they become finely chopped and are granular, at this point this is actually something we call “gremolata”, which is great with both pasta and meat, but we’ll add a little olive oil to make it more smooth and to help coat the pasta with the sauce.
It is recommended that you slowly pour olive oil into the food processor while it is on until the mixture is smooth.
When I first made this pesto, I used about half a cup of olive oil. However, today I was able to get by with only 6 tablespoons, so I was able to keep the costs down even more. Once you have the pesto ready to be used, set it aside.
It is recommended that you rinse two pints of cherry tomatoes well before using them.
1 Tbsp of olive oil should be added to a large skillet at medium heat. Spread the oil evenly over the surface, then add the tomatoes.
Cook the tomatoes in the hot skillet, stirring occasionally, until they become soft. On a hot skillet, avoid stirring too often so the skins don’t blister.
As the tomatoes cook, the juices thicken and thicken into a sweet glaze. Salt and pepper to taste are recommended. The skins will blister and crack, letting some juices escape.
It is best to boil a large pot of water for the paste, and cook one pound of pasta according to the package directions. (Boiling for 7-10 minutes, or until al dente) Remove a little of the starchy pasta water before draining it into a colander.
Put the paste into the pot, and let it cool down (without turning on the heat). Once it has cooled down, add the pesto.
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the pasta and stir to combine thoroughly. Allow the pasta to cool for a few minutes before you toss in the pesto.
You want the Parmesan to stick to the pasta, not the pot. If you find that the pasta sticks in clumps, add some of the reserved pasta water.
It is very easy to construct these bowls if you divide the pasta into five bowls, and then add tomatoes, as well as fried eggs if you wish.
As I intend to eat this throughout the week, I portioned out the pasta and tomatoes into individual containers, but I plan on frying the egg fresh at every meal since I will be eating it throughout the week.
During the September Challenge, these were pretty costly, but still unbelievably cheap when compared to what you might get at your local deli.
Pasta is a dish that is probably too familiar to you, because it’s quick, delicious and not boring at all. With the above recipe, Apronese introduced you to the pasta with basil and parsley sauce, plus the juicy, round tomatoes, it’s really great, isn’t it?
Don’t ignore it but make and treat your whole family.
