Pesto Pasta?

Any kind of pasta at all*- I quite like fusilli with pesto, or the bows, but it's equally good with spag or penne. I usually just serve it with parmesan shavings, some fresh basil and lots of black pepper.

*having said that, I think I'd avoid wide ribbon pasta like tagliatelle, I'm not sure why!

what kind of veg, if its peppers onions courgettes then you can roast them in the oven first with some chopped up bacon, cook your pasta shapes, then toss together with the pesto and serve. easy and rather yumm.

The heat of the pasta is enough to warm the pesto as you mix it together

In its simplest form, you can just stir the pesto through hot drained pasta, straight from the jar.

But that's a little boring. I tend to stir fry some sliced chicken, maybe with a few mushrooms or some chopped bacon, add the pesto to the pan, just for a few seconds to heat, then stir through the cokked pasta.

I prefer something with a bit of texture (eg penne) rather than spaghetti with pesto.

Oh you can do all sorts. Tagliatelli works well, or shapes. Cook the pasta, as per instructions, return to the pan, add some pesto and a drizzle of good olive oil and just sort of stir it through so it warms up form the pasta (i usually turn the heat off, but keep the pot on the ring, but keep it all moving so it doesn't catch). you can add some grilled/fried bacon, or tuna, or anything really. If you have any creme fraiche handy that can make it nice and creamy.

I like it best with gnocchi, and a tomato salad. Mmmmmm, pesto....

Usually we serve it like Lou does, although I've also been known to toast some pine nuts to have with it as well. Occasionally we will shred some chicken and mix that in too.

I do a nice pesto thing (with red pesto but green will probably work well too) that is just any veg (I use broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrots, peppers etc) stirfried, add to cooked pasta and mix some of the pesto with cream (elmlea in my case), stir through. Top with cheese and pop under grill to brown cheese. I also sometimes put pine nuts in too.

It's so tasty my husband once asked (whilst wolfing it down) what meat was in it. I said it was all veggie and he said, "No, there's meat in it - what's this?". It was a carrot ?! Still, this from the man who was sucking up peri peri sauce with a straw a few weeks ago! Tastebuds shot to beggary!

If i am doing a minimalist pasta dinenr i will often throw some frozen peas in with the pasta just before they are done, which bulks things out a bit.