Paneer pasta with pesto
Enjoy a fresh spin on weeknight pasta with our paneer pasta with pesto. Coated in zesty basil and citrus pesto, the dish offers a colourful pan of golden paneer, asparagus, mushrooms, and juicy cherry tomatoes. To finish, we scatter generous handfuls of watercress on top. This one is truly worth keeping close by, giving you a quick, creamy, and, most importantly, absolutely delicious meal!
Ingredients
|
Olive oil
|
2 tbsp |
|---|---|
| 200 g | |
|
Cherry tomatoes, chopped
|
8 |
|
Green asparagus, chopped
|
8 |
|
Shiitake and chestnut button mushrooms
|
8 |
|
Balsamic glaze
|
2 tbsp |
|
Spaghetti
|
120 g |
|
Garlic cloves
|
½ g |
|
Salt
|
|
|
Pepper
|
Pesto
|
Olive oil
|
4 tbsp |
|---|---|
|
Fresh basil leaves
|
8 g |
|
Cashews nuts
|
20 g |
|
Lemons
|
2 |
|
Lime fruits
|
2 |
For serving
|
Watercress
|
30 g |
|---|
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Get al dente spaghetti
Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente, which means tender but still firm in the centre. It usually takes 8–10 minutes in boiling water, but check the packet instructions and taste a strand 1–2 minutes before the time is up. The pasta will keep cooking once it hits the warm pan of vegetables and pesto, so stopping early keeps it from turning too soft.
Save some pasta water
Save a small cup of pasta water before draining the spaghetti. The starchy water helps loosen the pesto and creates a smooth, creamy texture once everything is stirred through the pan. Pour it in slowly, just until the sauce clings nicely to the spaghetti without turning runny.
Make pesto in advance
Making pesto ahead of time is a smart way to keep things convenient. It saves you effort on the day and means the paneer pasta with pesto comes together even faster. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give it a stir before using, as the oil may separate. For longer storage, freeze it in an ice cube tray, then transfer the cubes to a sealed container and keep for up to 1 month.
FAQ: Questions about paneer pasta with pesto
Are you keen to learn more about this paneer pasta with pesto? Then, keep reading below for our great answers to the most frequently asked questions about this recipe.
Can I use a different type of pasta for this recipe?
Certainly! You can easily swap the spaghetti for another type of pasta. Tagliatelle, linguine, or bucatini all work well and carry the pesto nicely. Short shapes like fusilli or penne also work, especially as their grooves and curves help catch more of the sauce. Just keep an eye on cooking times, since it varies between shapes.
How to store and reheat paneer pasta with pesto?
Store any leftover paneer pasta with pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, place it in a pan over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Stir gently until warmed through. Avoid high heat, as it may cause the paneer to become rubbery and the pesto to lose its fresh flavour.
Nutritional values
Nutritional value, per
1474 Kcal
| Fibre | 29.7 gram fibers |
| Protein | 29.6 gram |
| Carbohydrates | 132.6 gram |
| Fat | 92.2 gram |
Try our easy recipe for toasted paneer pasta
Once you try our recipe for paneer pasta with pesto, it will quickly become a regular in your weeknight rotation. The process is remarkably easy from start to finish. The homemade pesto comes together fast, and the rest is simply chopping, boiling the pasta, and stirring everything through the pan. It works well for cooks of all levels, whether you are new to the kitchen or more experienced.
What makes this pasta so special is the paneer. Toasted in the pan, it picks up the wonderful veggie flavours and develops crisp, golden edges. On the inside, it stays firm with a slightly chewy centre. The taste is mild and milky, similar to mozzarella, but without the melting. That means it stays firm even in the heat, which is exactly what you want when everything else in the pan is softening. Instead of disappearing into the sauce, the paneer holds its shape and gives the pasta a real bite without getting in the way of the pesto.
With cherry tomatoes, green asparagus, and mushrooms
Our paneer pasta with pesto shines even brighter because of all the crisp, colourful veggies. The cherry tomatoes soften in the pan, starting to burst and turning jammy, releasing their mellow sweetness with a bit of tang. Green asparagus stays snappy through the middle, with a clean, grassy flavour and a touch of bitterness at the tips.
Mushrooms give this pasta its umami character, and we went for a mix of shiitake and chestnut mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms have a strong flavour with a faint smokiness once cooked, while chestnut mushrooms are milder, with an earthier taste and a soft chew.
All of that shapes a meal with a little softness, a bit of crispness, some sweetness, a touch of acidity, and that savoury roundness that makes this pasta feel complete.
Homemade pesto with basil and cashew nuts
Pasta and pesto go back a long way. The pesto acts as the sauce, coating everything with a sharp, creamy layer. Making it from scratch is quick and well worth it – the flavours are fresher, and the texture is smoother. Our homemade pesto is intentionally a little different from a regular basil pesto to match the paneer and vegetables perfectly.
We keep the fresh, slightly sweet basil, of course, but swap the pine nuts for cashews, which makes it creamier and slightly sweet. Instead of the usual garlic and cheese combo, we go heavy on citrus with both lemon and lime. This sharpens the profile with a light tartness that keeps the pesto punchy. The consistency is silky enough to wrap around the pasta but still thick enough to cling to everything without sliding off.
Prepare a quick dinner in less than 20 minutes
Our paneer pasta with pesto recipe is quick to make and comes together in less than 20 minutes, making it a solid choice on nights when time is short. It works just as well for busy weeknights as it does for slower, lazier weekends when a delicious meal cannot come fast enough. You can eat it on its own, straight from the bowl, or serve it with a bit of bread or a light salad on the side if you are in the mood for more.
Once you have polished off your paneer pasta with pesto, there is plenty more to explore. For another quick fix, our fresh spinach wraps and salmon and mushroom pasta each take 20 minutes, and our veggie tacos are ready in 30.
Get creative with the recipe
This recipe leaves space to experiment, so feel free to try out your own twists. Try using red peppers, courgette, or aubergine instead of asparagus or mushrooms. Red peppers turn sweet and juicy in the pan, courgette softens with a mild, almost buttery taste, and aubergine develops a more profound, slightly smoky flavour when cooked through.
Replace the cherry tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes, which taste more intense and slightly tangy, or go for roasted ones if you prefer something sweeter and softer. For the pesto, using walnuts instead of cashews gives it a more bitter nuance. And if you do not have basil, try rocket for a sharper bite or parsley for a cleaner, grassy flavour.
