Pesto Spaghetti | Spaghetti in Pesto Sauce (Spaghetti with basil, parsley and walnuts pesto)

“Spaghetti in Pesto Sauce”  is a pasta dish from Italy and like all other Italian dishes i quiet simple and easy to assemble once you have the ingredients ready. The pesto sauce in this dish combines the nuttiness of walnuts and freshness of basil and parsley along with lemon zest, which give them a sharp yet delectable taste to your palate.

I have been a fan of an Italian cookery show for quite sometime now and have adapted the recipe from there. Hope you all like it and make it your kitchen. This Italian, restaurant style spaghetti, would definitely please everyone at your house and make you a star chef. :P

Serves: 4-5

Preparation time: 10 mins.

Cooking time: 15 mins.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh basil leaves (tightly packed)

1 cup fresh parsley leaves (tightly packed)

2 cloves garlic

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ cup walnuts

Salt to taste

1 pound spaghetti (about 500 gms.)

1 tablespoon Lemon zest (finely grated)

Directions:

1. Dry roast the walnuts in a non stick pan. Keep aside.
2. Boil the spaghetti in boiling water as per package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta while reserving about ½ cup pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, put the walnuts in a food processor with the lemon zest, basil, parsley and garlic and pulse to make a paste. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl and, with the processor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream to make a smooth pesto sauce.
4. Transfer the pesto into a large mixing bowl and stir in the cheese (saving some for the garnish) and salt.
5. Toss the spaghetti in the bowl to combine with sauce and adding the reserved pasta water to loosen, if required.
6. Serve hot in a flat bowl / plate and garnish with reserved parmesan cheese.

Tips:

• Adding pasta water to the spaghetti enhances the flavor and taste.