Summer Fusilli with Lemon Pesto, a fresh and fragrant summer main dish. Very simple to make because apart from the pasta, there are no other cooking processes. It is therefore a very easy and quick dish to prepare, so much so that the pesto can even be made while the boiled pasta is cooling in the refrigerator. I prefer to make it a few hours ahead or even the day before to make it as cold as possible for the pasta, but doing so runs the risk of having to make it again. Yes, indeed, it often ends up immediately on toasted bread slices because it’s truly irresistible.
If you like cold dishes, especially during the warmer periods of the year, then don’t miss the following recipes:
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, All seasons
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz fusilli
- to taste lemon pesto
- 5.3 oz Taggiasca olives
- 2 sprigs fresh basil
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste pine nuts for decoration
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Bowl
Preparation
The first thing we need to do to ensure the recipe’s excellent result is to put some water in a bowl and place it in the freezer at least twenty minutes before cooking the pasta.
As soon as the water starts to boil, drop in the fusilli and let them cook for just a few minutes. By checking the cooking times displayed on the pasta package, we adjust by removing about 3 minutes of cooking to ensure they are perfectly al dente.
Once the necessary time has passed, drain the pasta with a slotted spoon and pour it into the bowl with the now icy water. Once cooled, place it in a colander to ensure it loses all the water. Then put it in a bowl along with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (to prevent the fusilli from sticking) and mix.
At this point, cover the bowl with cling film and place it to cool further in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
If we haven’t prepared the Lemon Pesto beforehand, we can do it now, as the pasta is cooling in the refrigerator.
Now add the pesto to the fusilli, sprinkle them with freshly ground black pepper if possible, add both the olives and the basil leaves torn by hand, and mix all the ingredients. Place back in the refrigerator for at least another hour because the pasta needs to be well chilled.
Serve our Summer Fusilli with Lemon Pesto, arranging them on a serving plate or tray, but not before decorating them with basil leaves, pine nuts, lemon zest, black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if necessary.
Tips and Storage
You can store the fusilli with lemon pesto in the refrigerator for about two days, but place them in a glass or ceramic container with an airtight seal.
They can also be frozen, but according to my experience, I can tell you that at that point, it’s better to cook them.
I toss them in a pan, add provolone or well-drained mozzarella, and sauté them until the cheese becomes stringy and the fusilli golden.
At this point, we are faced with a transformation of the original recipe into another, but still very tasty.
