Almond Basil Pesto Pasta

The word basil comes from the Greek word βασιλεύς (basileus), meaning "king".Basil is still considered the "king of herbs" by many.Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. It is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavour.



There are many varieties of basil. That which is used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil, lemon basil and holy basil, which are used in Asia.

Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other two main ingredients are olive oil and pine nuts.Whenever possible, choose fresh basil over the dried form of the herb since it is superior in flavor. The leaves of fresh basil should look vibrant and be deep green in color. They should be free from darks spots or yellowing.

Fresh basil should be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel. It may also be frozen, either whole or chopped, in airtight containers.

Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K and a very good source of iron, calcium and vitamin A. In addition, basil is a good source of dietary fiber, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium.

The other day i went to the farmers market n all these herbs were in the plastic bags..so i mistook Basil for mint...So i decided to make use of it ...i bought some whole wheat pasta n made a delicious pesto pasta.








Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
1 cup fresh basil
1 clove garlic chopped
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 tsp pepper pwd
3 tbsp olive oil
saly
few drops lemon juice
3 tbsp parmesan cheese




Method:

Put the almonds in warm water n let it rest for 1 hr,then remove n peel the skin n chop n keep aside.

Next take the basil leaves wash them n put them into a blender.

To this add the chopped almonds,pepper pwd,garlic,salt n few drops lemon juice.

Blend all of these togeather to a coarse paste,Add only few drops water if needed.

Next add the olive oil n 1 1/2 tbsp parmesan cheese n blend again,check for salt n adjust.

It should look like a coarse paste.Keep this aside

Next boil 4 cups water until till it comes to a boil,Once u see its bubbling add pinch of salt n few drops of oil

Add the pasta n let it cook.Once the pasta becomes tender to the touch

Switch off the stove and strain out the water from the pasta.

Immediately put the pasta into a bowl add 3 tbsp prepaired pesto sauce n mix....if u want more pesto u can add according to ur taste.

Garnish with the remaining parmesan cheese n serve hot.

Note: U can serve this few grilled vegetables like bell peppers,brocoli etc.Usualy pesto is made with pine nuts,since i didnt have any i substituted it with blanched almonds...but if u have pine nuts u can directly add them to the basil i.e u dont need to blanch them like almonds