Sam's Ice-cube Pesto Pasta

Serves 4 / Prep 10 min / Cooking 10 min 

Sam Parish's ice-cube pesto pasta Photo: supplied

Ingredients

• 400g pasta mista*, or any short pasta you like
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• finely grated Parmesan, to serve
• Ice-cube pesto (makes 400g)
• 100g assorted nuts/seeds (I used walnuts, almonds, cashews and pine nuts)
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 100g hard cheese (I used both pecorino and Parmesan, as I store leftover bits in the freezer)
• 100g green leaves (I used basil, parsley, coriander and baby spinach)
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• finely grated zest and juice of
• 2 lemons (100ml juice) 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• *Mista is Italian for mixed. Pasta mista is a packet with lots of different shapes

Method

To make the pesto, microwave the nuts/seeds and pepper 2-3 times in 20-second intervals, until aromatic and slightly golden. (Alternatively, toast in the oven, but the microwave is way easier.)

Place cheese in a blender and whiz until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and whiz, scraping down the sides and stirring regularly, for 3 minutes, or until warm to touch and smooth and green (the mix will stay green if it gets a bit warm).

Use fresh, or transfer to an ice tray and place in the freezer. The next day, pop out pesto cubes and transfer to an airtight container or bag. The pesto cubes will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Cook pasta as per packet instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Return water to saucepan along
with 4-6 cubes (100g) of pesto and stir until melted and combined. Return pasta to pan along with baby spinach and stir through to coat in pesto. Cook for 1-2 minutes to warm through. Serve scattered with extra Parmesan.

Spice it up: Ditch the nuts and Parmesan, sub the green things for coriander, mint and spinach and add 2 long green chillis, 1 tsp chaat masala and a 2cm piece of ginger and you got yourself your own coriander/mint chutney in ice-cube form.

More veg please:  Halved cherry tomatoes, or adding some zucchini noodles to the mix is sure to hit the veggie goals.