Today I present to you an easy peasy recipe: baked pesto pasta.
So easy and quick that most of the time will be spent waiting: first for the pasta to cook, and then for the baking.
Easier than this!
Are you a fan of super-quick first courses? Here are some ideas! 👇
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 14 oz short pasta (I used fusilli)
- 1 package pesto
- 5.3 oz cheese (I used fontal)
- 2 cups béchamel
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- mixed seeds (optional)
Tools
- Pot
- Baking Tray
Steps
Cook the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, you can:
– prepare the béchamel
– briefly toast the seeds (I used sunflower seeds and pine nuts) in a pan.
👉 I marked the seeds as optional because they don’t substantially change the taste of the dish and don’t alter the recipe’s success. But I often add seeds to my pasta dishes, even in simple ones like this pasta with potatoes and carrots (remember it?).
👉 The béchamel makes the final result creamier, and it can easily be prepared while the pasta cooks. In this case, I made it in the microwave. You can find the procedure here or the light version here. If you prefer to make it on the stove as per tradition, the recipe is here.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it.
Arrange the pasta in layers in a baking tray. After each layer, sprinkle the toasted seeds, béchamel, pesto, and diced cheese over the pasta.
👉 You can be creative with your cheese choices: over time, I’ve used every type of cheese I had in the fridge, and I find that they all suit this recipe. It’s also a great way to finish all those small cheese pieces cluttering your fridge. 😉
Sprinkle the last layer with breadcrumbs and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
There you go, your baked pesto pasta is ready!
Salt-Free Tips
In this blog without added salt, it’s essential to remind those who cook without salt for health reasons (and must therefore follow a controlled low-sodium diet) that ready-made pesto is not among the recommended foods since, like any packaged product, it contains salt. The only solution is homemade to avoid relying on ready-made products. Making homemade pesto is super simple, and it can be frozen in small portions for later use.
Here’s a reminder of my usual salt-free tips:
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
■ Gradually decrease salt; the palate needs time to adjust and should not notice the gradual reduction.
■ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
■ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
■ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
■ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
■ Use my salt-free vegetable granules
■ Prefer fresh foods.
■ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that don’t dilute flavors (grilling, en papillote, steaming, microwave)
■ Avoid bringing the saltshaker to the table!
■ Occasionally, allow yourself a small exception to the rule. It’s good for your mood and helps persistence.
If you don’t want to, or cannot, give up salt:
■ You can still try my recipes by seasoning them according to your habits.
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On my Facebook page, on my Pinterest boards, in my two groups: Catia’s Group, in the Kitchen and Beyond and Just What I Was Looking For! and if you want… subscribe to my Newsletter
