Easy Peasy Pesto Pasta

This Pesto Pasta is a staple in our house. Not only is it easy, and quick to make – it also costs less than $15!(NZD)

Put the water on to boil, and in the time that it takes to cook the pasta, your sauce will be done too! I found that this recipe is a bit lighter than many other pesto pasta recipes, as the tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach add a bit of ‘lightness’ to the dish. It’s also easy to make this recipe Gluten Free or Vegan, see my notes at the bottom of the recipe.

I’ve used this recipe for years as a camping and hiking meal. We strip the recipe back to pasta, salami and pesto for a super easy, one pot camping meal. It’s a brilliant one for hiking, because the pasta is light, the salami is cured, so keeps better out of the refrigerator than other meats. It’s also full of carbs and protein and only requires one pot. The salami is the only thing you need to chop, which is ideal, because who wants to be doing heaps of chopping when you’re out in the bush and only have a tiny plate for a chopping board? Sometimes we add some dehydrated vege to bulk it out too. One tip though – make sure your pesto is well sealed, and the container is cleaned out afterwards. You’d be surprised how the oil in the pesto can go absolutely everywhere!

If you make your own pesto, then use that! I have found that the dip versions of pestos are often cheaper (and chunkier) than the ones in the sauce isles, and taste great. Any salami is great for this recipe, but I use the Pieters sticks of salami, delicious, gluten free and good value for money.

Easy Peasy Pesto Pasta

Prep | 5 m
Cook | 15 m
Ready in | 15 m
Feeds | 4 ppl
Cost | Under $15

300g Pasta (Easily substitute for Gluten Free Pasta)
1 tbsp butter or oil for frying
4-5 Mushrooms, sliced
1-2 Tomatoes, sliced into strips
1/2 cup frozen Spinach, or 1 cup fresh Spinach leaves
150g Salami, sliced into strips
100g Basil Pesto (I use the dip version, but any pesto works fine)
Cheese for topping (Parmesan is best, but is more expensive)
Optional: 2-3tbsp White Wine or Cream

Boil a pot of water. When it has boiled, add the pasta and turn down to a medium heat.

While the water is boiling, slice the washed mushrooms and cook on a medium-high heat in a frying pan with butter or oil. Slice the tomatoes into strips and add them to the frying pan.

When the mushrooms and the tomatoes are nearly cooked, add the spinach and the sliced salami to the frying pan. Fry for 2 minutes. Turn onto a low heat, and stir in the pesto, and fry for another minute. Optional: Add a couple of tablespoons of white wine, or cream.

By the time your pasta is ready, your frying pan of delight should be just about ready too. Drain the pasta and stir the contents of the frying pan into the pasta.

Spoon onto plates while it is still hot, and add cheese on top.

To make this recipe Gluten Free: Use gluten free pasta. Check that the salami and the pesto are gluten free (most are).

To make this recipe Vegan: Leave out the salami, use vegan cheese, and check that the pesto is vegan (many have parmesan in it).