Almond Pesto Fettucini Pasta

We love Italian food, but when it comes to pasta, its hard to break away from the tried and tested tomato-basil sauce or creamy alfredo sauce. But recently, I've been experimenting with different types of Pesto, and what better way to use up all that sauce other tha blending it with pasta to make this delicious Almond Pesto Fettucini!! Some time back, I made the walnut-cilantro pesto, and this time around, I chose the Almond and Parsely along with Basil to make my pesto sauce. Unlike pine nuts, almonds impart a smoother texture and a unique taste, especially when you use blanched almonds. Adding parsely adds an ever-so-mild kick to the pesto, which works great if you want to use this as a pasta sauce! I used regular Fettucine, but you could go for the spinach or whole-wheat one too. This Almond Pesto Fettucini is a welcome alternative to usual pasta recipes, and the Pesto can also be used as a light dressing for a pasta salad.

Ingredients
9 oz fettucini pasta
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
1 and 1/2 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh parsely
4 tbsp lemon juice
** adjust to taste, you may need more if using as pasta sauce
3 large garlic cloves
1/2-1 tsp salt
5 tbsp + 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Almond Pesto
Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add lemon juice, garlic, basil, parsely, salt and parmesan cheese; process until finely chopped.

With the food processor running, gradually add olive oil and process until smooth. Keep scraping the sides while you pulse, and add olive oil a little at a time to make a smooth pesto. Set aside for later use, or store it in an air-tight box and refrigerate.

Pesto Fettucini
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook according to package instructions until done. I generally add 1 tsp oil and a pinch of salt while the pasta is cooking so they don't stick to each other and get cooked faster.

Once done, drain the fettucini, then wash under cold running water and add 2 tsp olive oil. This will prevent the noodles from sticking or clumping and also help them get properly flavored when pesto is added.

When ready to serve, add the pesto to the fettucini, season with some more salt and ground black pepper if desired and mix well.

Transfer the Almond Pesto Fettucini to serving bowls and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Off this goes to Archana's Kitchen for the One-Dish Meal roundup!

Related Recipes:
Vegetarian Schezwuan Hakka Noodles
Baked Rigatoni with Homemade Marinara Sauce
Asian-style Spagetti with Garlic & Cilantro