RICH CREAMY SHELLS PASTA

It's been a while since I cooked a pasta dish so I thought why not go with pasta shells. I love this type of pasta because it has the added advantage of holding the ingredients inside their shells so you always get that extra sauce stuck in between the hollow spaces. I also love cooking with pasta shells because they kind of remind me of the ocean. Which I havent been to in a really long time. The last time I ever visited an ocean was when we were in primary school for a class 8 school trip when we were younger. It was a trip to Mombasa for a week. My best days were those spent collecting shells which I would then tightly sqeeze against my ear to hear the ocean breeze. Forget the fact that I was standing on the beach itself right where the waves hit the edges! But hearing the breeze from those tiny and sometimes humongous shells was bliss for me. I need to plan a trip to visit the beach again. Okaaaay, back to shells that are delicious and can be eaten.  This time I made the pasta dish with Pesto sauce. Pesto is one of those dips that in you should try making once in your lifetime. Because it is THAT good! And paired with pasta, you forget every other pasta dish you have ever made, trust me on this! The recipe for this Pesto dip I will share next month during something really amazing happening throughout August! Can't wait, almost there...

INGREDIENTS

1 Packet Shell Pasta
1-2 Cups Pesto Sauce
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon Salt

METHOD

Heat water in a deep pan and add salt

Add vegetable oil

Add the shell pasta

Let the pasta cook until al' dente, you do not want the pasta to overcook or it will be too soggy

Once the water has significantly reduced, take pasta from heat. Set in a sieve or collander and pour hot water into the pasta. This helps remove some of the sticky starch

Add the Avocado Pesto into the cooked Shell Pasta and mix well ensuring every piece of shell gets the delicious Pesto sauce

I love cooking with Shell Pasta because they are fun to scoop all that deliciousness hiding inside. Apart from being filling, this dish serves up to 3 people and you will definitely want seconds!

RICH CREAMY SHELLS PASTA

Recipe by Mulunga Alukwe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients

• 1 Packet Shell Pasta
• 1-2 Cups Pesto
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Salt

Cooking Directions

1. Heat water in a deep pan and add salt. Add vegetable oil
2. Once the water has bubbled add the shell pasta. Let the pasta cook until al' dente, you do not want the pasta to overcook or it will be too soggy
3. Once the water has significantly reduced, take pasta from heat. Set in a sieve or collander and pour hot water into the pasta. This helps remove some of the sticky starch
4. Add the Avocado Pesto into the cooked Shell Pasta and mix well ensuring every piece of shell gets the delicious Pesto sauce
5. Serve immediately