I love travel and I love cooking, so when travel site Expedia asked me to be part of their World on a Plate challenge and recreate a recipe that is typical for a country from their globetrotter lottery pot, I was instantly on board – obviously hoping, I wouldn’t get a country whose cuisine I didn’t know anything about. Fortunately, the luck of the draw was with me and I got Italy as my country.
Now, I love Italian cooking. It’s delicious, full of flavour and usually not very complicated, so I thought I’d stay in line with Italy’s fuss-free approach to cooking and make spaghetti al verde, a super quick dish that you can rustle up in about 15 minutes.
Spaghetti al verde – serves 4
Ingredients:
500g spaghetti
100g unsalted peanuts
60g fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic,
60g parmesan
150ml olive oil
50 pecorino
salt
pepper
Method:
1. Cook spaghetti according to instructions on the package and drain them when they’re al dente (cooked, but neither crunchy nor soft).
2. Roast peanuts in an oil-free frying pan and leave to cool.
3. Wash basil, pad try, remove stalks and finely chop.
4. Grate parmesan, then peel garlic and finely grate.
5. Add basil, garlic and parmesan to a blender and blend while gradually adding olive oil until you’ve got a smooth pesto. Season with salt and fresh black pepper.
6. Add spaghetti to your frying pan and mix with your homemade basil pesto. Add roasted peanuts and serve with shavings of pecorino.
I hope you’ll enjoy this quick and simple spaghetti al verde recipe for a delicious 15 minute lunch or dinner. For me, it’s the ultimate Italian meal with the added holiday feel and even Amy was a big fan – despite the pecorino, which she lovingly calls stinky cheese.
What’s your ultimate Italian dish? Let me know in the comments below!
This post was brought to you in in association with Expedia.
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Ooh that looks lovely-definitely my kind of meal.
Helen recently posted…ASK Italian – review & Giveaway
Definitely a winner and perfect, if you want something quick & fresh! Making your own pesto takes seconds, so why choose a jar? It’s so much nicer too x
oh i like a creamy mushroom sauce with my pasta but this looks delish too
becky recently posted…The 3 things I wish I had bought preloved for my baby
That would probably my first choice too. I love mushrooms, they’re my absolute favourite and I judge restaurants by how many mushroom dishes they have on their menu 😉
This looks SO good. I have never though of putting peanuts together with spaghetti. Looks nice and fresh.
They give a nice bit of texture and add a nice earthy flavour x
That looks so simple and delicious! I would never have thought of using peanuts with spaghetti.
Mum of One recently posted…Clean and Lean: Spicy Cod Stew
I guess it’s a twist on the usual pine nuts and basil combination x
That looks gorgeous and so easy to make
Alison recently posted…British Street Food Awards, Newcastle
It was literally under 15 minutes to prepare and cook this – my kind of dinner 😉
Oh this sounds delicious! and looks so appetising
Boo Roo and Tigger Too recently posted…Stocking up on baby essentials at Chemist Direct
Thank you, looks like it’s so much more special than it actually is 🙂
Oh this looks delish Carolin!
Mammasaurus recently posted…Latest Old Photos, 5th August
I love Salsa Verde and this is a great way of using it, Basil is my favourite herb. I’ve pinned #BrilliantBlogPosts
Wheelie Good Meals recently posted…Are you Ready, Steady… Then Let’s Cook Some Mystery Bag Meals
looks lovely and so simple
I’m definitely going to try this it looks and sounds so yummy 🙂
I hope you enjoy x