Linguine with Red Pesto Sauce

Linguine with Red Pesto Sauce

Pasta is one of my favourite main courses when I dine outside as it seems to be a "won't go wrong" decision and importantly, it fills my stomach.

I believe that most of us take the easy way out when cooking tomato-based pasta at home, I am no different.

I used to cook tomato-based pasta with off-the-shelves pasta sauce. However, no matter how I cooked it, be it with garlic or tossing it in hot pan instead of pouring warmed ready-made sauce onto the pasta, the taste is nowhere as good as those I ate while dining out.

To be honest, this is one of the few recipes that I have to try a few times before it finally "succeeded". I have done my research on different food blogs, cookbooks, but none of them give me the taste that I wanted. I have experimented and finally I found the keys to this recipe and they are PESTO SAUCE, GARLIC and ONIONS.

I have to say that this is not the perfect taste that I am looking for, but somewhere 80% there, and I eager to share this with my readers!

Ingredients (Serve 2 to 3 Pax)

1. Linguine
2. Olive Oil
3. Salts
4. 4 Tablespoons of Red Pesto Sauce (eg. Brand Marks & Spencer)
5. 2 Tablespoons of Tomato based Pasta Sauce (Eg. Brand Prego or Ragu Sauce)
6. 2 Tablespoons of Chopped Garlic
7. 2 Tablespoons of Chopped Yellow Onions
8. 3 Sundried Tomatoes (Sliced)
9. 2 Big Fresh Tomatoes (Diced)
10. Italian Herbs (Rosemary, Parsley, Basil. eg. Brand Masterfood)
11. Coarse Black Pepper
12. Dried Chilli Flakes (eg. Brand Masterfood)

Steps

1. Add Olive Oil and Salt into Boiling Water
2. Cooked Linguine accordingly to the package information (normally around 7 to 11 minutes for Al-Dente)
3. Drain Linguine and Rinse it with Tap or Cold Water to stop heating process
4. Add Olive Oil into hot pan
5. Add Onion and fry for approx 2 minutes till it becomes translucent
6. Add Garlic and fry until fragrant
7. Add Fresh Tomatoes and fry for approx 2 minutes
8. Add Sundried Tomatoes and fry for approx 2 minutes
9. Turn down to lower heat
10. Add Pesto Sauces, Tomato Based Pasta Sauces, Italian Herbs, Dried Chilli Flakes, Black Pepper and fry for approx 3 minutes
11. Turn down to slow heat
12. Add Linguine into pan and stir to allow sauce to mix well with linguine

Serve while Hot!

Good to go with Grilled Salmon, Grilled Prawns, Grilled Portobello, Baked White Snapper

Tips and Comments:

• Add some green and lantern pepper to add on to more taste, nutrition and color to the pasta.