Parsley is the ingredient that gives this pesto sauce its vibrant green color – the color that will catch the eye of cooks looking for a St. Patrick’s hue in as many dishes as possible, on or around the Irish holiday.
This pasta dish will please cooks for another good reason: It can be on the table, start to finish, in under half an hour.
The fresh-tasting and aromatic pesto complements the rice pasta that’s called for in this recipe. Rice pasta, of course, has an advantage for diners who avoid wheat and look for gluten-free recipes.
The pasta can be served as a main course or side dish, recipe developer Pam Simmons points out.
Simmons explains why she tells cooks to transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool (this will take only about five minutes): One reason is to avoid letting the nuts accidentally burn from transferred heat; another reason is that adding cooled nuts will help keep the parsley fresh and green. “It probably doesn’t matter, it’s just the way I’ve always done it,” she says.
Parsley’s flavor is not as assertive as basil but this pesto has a rich taste that can go with any entree, Simmons says. Another consideration: Flatleaf (not curly) parsley is much more available and cost-effective in the winter than fresh basil – and it went down very well with Simmons’ taste testers, she says.
Pine Nut Parsley Pesto Pasta
(Start to finish about 20 minutes)
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for pasta.
Heat a large skillet on high. Add pine nuts and toast until slightly golden, about 3 minutes, shaking pan frequently. Remove to a dish to cool.
Coarsely chop parsley leaves and stems and add to a food processor with metal blade. Add pine nuts (reserving a tablespoon for garnish), Parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon rind. Pulse until finely chopped.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process, while adding oil in a thin stream, until smooth.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta (reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water for sauce), rinsing briefly.
Toss pasta with sauce (using reserved pasta water if a thinner sauce is desired) and serve. Garnish with remaining pine nuts and tomatoes.
Makes 4 to 6 main-course servings.
Note: Rice pasta is available in supermarkets’ general or international pasta sections. A lettuce spinner is a good, fast tool for washing and drying parsley.
