Conchiglie (Sea Shells) with Basil Pesto

Conchiglie with Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces Conchiglie (shells) pasta

• 3 tbsp Basil pesto (recipe on this site)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• salt to taste

• red pepper flakes, optional

• basil for garnish, optional

• Parmesan cheese, optional

1. Heat a pot of water to boiling. Season with plenty of salt.

2. Cook conchiglie pasta according to package directions. Save 1 cup of pasta water before draining pasta.

3. Place pasta back into pot and add pesto, red pepper flakes, and olive oil; stir to coat pasta with pesto. Add about 2 tablespoons of saved pasta water and stir to incorporate. If you'd like a bit more sauce to the pasta, add 1 tablespoon (at a time) until you have your desired sauce.

4. Sprinkle pasta with cheese, if using. Garnish with basil and serve.

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Notes&Tips:

• This is a simple one pot recipe that does not require much hands on work in the kitchen, especially if you already have the pesto made.

• This dish works for lunch or dinner and is great for when you want a vegetarian dish. Although, by grilling or baking some chicken or steak, this could be a side dish.

• The Basil pesto for this recipe is already on this site.

• For this Conchiglie with Basil Pesto, I chose not to add anything else to the dish. This way you get to enjoy that delicious homemade pesto. Other times, I have added things like kale, spinach, peas, or carrots.

• Let this simple pasta dish work as a base for you and depending on what you have on hand for protein or vegetable can be your add in.