Pesto tagliatelle nests, a very special first course as the pasta cooks in the oven and is not pre-boiled.
We had seen this cooking technique several times on the web but had never tried it… then like Saint Thomas we wanted to try it and I recommend you try this preparation, we made it with pesto but you can make it with tomato sauce and meat sauce, peas and cheese or with all the types of condiments you prefer….
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 3 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Pesto Tagliatelle Nests:
- 9 tagliatelle nests
- 5 tablespoons Genoese pesto (generous)
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- to taste fine salt
- to taste nutmeg
- to taste grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 glass whole milk
- 1/2 regular or smoked Provola cheese
Tools for Pesto Tagliatelle Nests:
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Spatula
Steps for the Preparation and Cooking of Pesto Tagliatelle Nests:
First, prepare the butter-free béchamel sauce by clicking HERE. Compared to the original recipe, the quantities of ingredients are different, so use the quantities in this recipe but follow the procedure of the original recipe.
Put the béchamel sauce in a bowl and let it cool, add the milk and mix well, then add the pesto. If you prefer a more pronounced flavor, you can add 2 or 3 more tablespoons.
Mix the two ingredients well until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream. The cream should be very soft as the tagliatelle need to cook.
Place a layer of béchamel and pesto in a glass baking dish. We made single portions and made 3 with 3 nests for each diner, but you can easily use a single baking dish.
Place the tagliatelle nests on top of the sauce (they should be raw).
Place a small cube of Provola cheese or a thin slice folded as we did at the center of each tagliatelle nest hole.
Cover the tagliatelle with plenty of béchamel and pesto cream and then make a generous layer of grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 356°F for 20 minutes.
Serve the baked pesto tagliatelle nests hot.
