It is not for nothing that the Italians have become so attached to itmocking nickname "macaroni makers". They love and respect pasta in all its forms, using various sauces for this dish. And the most famous of the Italian pasta is spaghetti. And we must give the Italians their due: they not only love pasta themselves, but also managed to instill this love in representatives of other nations. For example, us. What is our cuisine famous for all over the world? Pies, pancakes, black caviar and kvass. And have you eaten black caviar for a long time? Do you often bake pies? And pasta? Exactly. So Italian spaghetti has already become our national food. But we have also learned to cook it the same way as the Italians. To get into the mood of Mediterranean cuisine and feel the taste of real Italian pasta, we offer you recipes for spaghetti with pesto sauce.
Spaghetti
It would seem so.Well, what new can be said about the well-known spaghetti? However, if we want to cook real Italian spaghetti, then it is worth understanding a few key points. Firstly, for the best result, you need to choose the “right” spaghetti. The best pasta (which does not make you fat) is made from durum wheat. To choose exactly this kind of spaghetti, look at the marking on the packaging. Domestic manufacturers mark this quality as “group A”. If you buy spaghetti made in Italy, it should be marked as “semola di grano duro”. When choosing spaghetti, look not only at the marking, but also at the appearance of the pasta. The surface of the spaghetti should not be glossy. Good spaghetti is matte in appearance, smooth, and of an even color: from cream to golden. However, black and white inclusions do not indicate poor quality of pasta – these are just the remains of the grain shell. However, there should not be too many of such inclusions. An unnatural yellow color indicates that the pasta contains dyes. Only the initially “correct” pasta will be of excellent quality and will not turn into a sticky mess. But, with due “diligence”, even high-quality spaghetti can be overcooked and spoiled. Therefore, they also need to be cooked correctly. Cooked spaghetti should not be too soft and overcooked, but on the contrary - a little tough and elastic. Recipes for cooking spaghetti differ little. To cook spaghetti correctly, take one liter of water per hundred grams of pasta. Put the water on the fire and boil. First add salt (preferably coarse) to the boiling water, and only then put the spaghetti. If the pasta is too long, lower it into the boiling water gradually, allowing the part in the water to soften and slowly “pushing” the rest of the spaghetti into the pan. Immediately after this, stir them and cook for about eight to ten minutes, remembering to stir occasionally. Check the readiness "by tooth". As soon as the spaghetti is ready, remove the pan from the stove and quickly pour a glass of cold water into the boiling water. And then tip the spaghetti into a colander. Shake the pasta and let the water drain. "Correct" spaghetti does not need to be washed or added oil. Note: When cooking spaghetti, do not cover the pan with a lid: this way the water will not "run away" onto the stove. If you are not sure of the excellent quality of the pasta, then add a little vegetable oil to the water. Then your spaghetti is guaranteed not to stick together.
Pesto
The birthplace of this sauce is considered to be Liguria (regionin Italy). Literally translated, "pesto" means crushed, ground. And in fact, this sauce was originally prepared by grinding the ingredients with a wooden pestle in a marble mortar. Therefore, the original pesto sauce should be prepared exactly this way. Although, modern recipes also allow the use of a blender. Classic pesto sauce is prepared from fresh green basil leaves, picini seeds, garlic, pecorino sheep's cheese and extra virgin olive oil. However, some recipes for this sauce also suggest additional ingredients: dried (sun-dried) tomatoes, hot peppers. Different recipes for this sauce are popular in different regions of Italy. Sauce prepared without nuts - Pesto alla siciliana, sauce without cheese with almonds - Pesto alla trapanese. So you should not be confused by the different recipes for this sauce. It can be prepared with hazelnuts, walnuts, arugula, parmesan cheese, spinach, and even the usual dill or mint. And popular recipes in the Russian interpretation suggest using pine nuts for pesto.
Spaghetti with mozzarella and Pesto sauce
Spaghetti with traditional pesto sauce is easy to make, even easier than you think. For this dish we will need the following ingredients:
- Spaghetti - 1 pack (300 g);
- Salt - a teaspoon;
- Olive oil - 2 tablespoons;
- Mozzarella (cheese) - 100 g.
For the pesto sauce:
- Green basil - 2 bunches;
- Garlic - 2 cloves;
- Olive oil - 4 tablespoons;
- Parmesan cheese - 100 g;
- Pine nuts - 2 tablespoons;
- Salt is a pinch.
Preparation:First, prepare the pesto sauce, as the spaghetti should be served immediately after they are cooked. For the sauce, take the basil, wash it and dry it, then chop it coarsely. Also chop the garlic coarsely, and grate the cheese. Then put all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender: basil, peeled pine nuts, cheese, salt and some olive oil. By the way, some housewives recommend using an immersion blender to prepare this dish. So, using a blender, chop all the ingredients, gradually adding olive oil to the sauce. Actually, that's it - the sauce is ready. Next, cook the spaghetti according to all the rules and instructions on the package. But to prepare this dish, add olive oil to the water for the spaghetti. Place the cooked spaghetti in a colander, let the water drain and serve immediately, placing it on plates, pouring sauce over it and putting three or four mozzarella balls on each plate.
Spaghetti with zucchini and pesto sauce
The recipe for this dish will delight youfans of raw food and ladies concerned about losing weight. And the whole point is that this dish does not use regular pasta (made from flour), but spaghetti made from zucchini. And for everyone else (especially creative cooks), the recipe will definitely be interesting. Ingredients:
- Zucchini - 1-2 pieces (depending on the size);
- Fresh tomatoes - 2 pieces;
- Sweet Bulgarian pepper - half.
For the sauce:
- Walnuts - half a cup;
- Basil (green) - 1 bundle;
- Garlic - 2 cloves;
- Olive oil - 2 tablespoons;
- Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons;
- Water is half a cup;
- Salt - 2 pinch.
Preparation: Prepare the sauce.To do this, first chop the nuts, but not too much (the nuts should be felt in the sauce). After that, put the washed basil, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice in a blender. Grind everything in several stages, adding water if necessary. When the mixture is ready, put it in a bowl and first add the chopped nuts, then salt and finely chopped tomatoes and pepper. Mix everything carefully but thoroughly, adding the remaining water in the cup. The sauce is ready. To prepare zucchini spaghetti, we will need a grater and a special knife for Korean carrots. First, wash and peel the zucchini, and then simply grate them or cut them with a knife (a special one!) in the form of long spaghetti. Use only the dense flesh of the zucchini, leaving the middle part with the seeds intact. Next, put our spaghetti in a salad bowl and carefully mix with the sauce. For a better taste of this dish, it is advisable to put it in the refrigerator for an hour or an hour and a half. Then the spaghetti will soak up the sauce and become more spicy and aromatic. Here are such radically different recipes for spaghetti with pesto. Try and experiment. Choose traditional spaghetti or risk making zucchini spaghetti. Conjure up pesto sauce, using different recipes and changing the ingredients. You will definitely get a delicious Italian dish. And if you cook with interest and pleasure, then an excellent result is simply guaranteed. And enjoy your meal! We recommend reading:
