kayaker’s
journal PADDLING GOURMET BY TARMO POLDMAA PrestoPesto!
Pesto pasta has everything going for it as a trip meal. It only takes a few minutes to pre- pare, tastes fantastic, and there’s nothing bet- ter than the smell of basil leaves and garlic on a summer’s eve. Pesto sauce originated in the northern Italian city of Genoa. It gets its name from the process of grinding or crushing
Powdered Pesto Pasta
• 2 cups dry penne or shell pasta • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1 large sweet onion • 3–4 cloves garlic
• 1 small zucchini or bunch of asparagus
• 1 red bell pepper • 4–6 fresh Roma tomatoes • 2 packages of Knorr Basil Parmesan Pasta seasoning • Pine nuts (or walnuts or almonds) • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (optional) • Pinch of dried red pepper flakes (optional)
Tis recipe serves up to four normal people, or two very hungry paddlers. Begin by boiling the water for pasta. While the water boils, cut all the veggies except tomatoes into thin strips so they cook quickly; mince the garlic. You can sub in whatever veggies you may have, like broccoli, green beans or snow peas. Cut the tomatoes into large wedges. Boil the pasta for 10–15 minutes,
as directed on the package. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until translucent (3–5 minutes). Add the garlic and the rest of the veggies (except tomatoes) and cook for another 3–5 minutes tossing regularly. Drain the pasta and pour in the sautéed mix. Ten add the tomatoes and the two packages of pasta seasoning mix, mixing gently until everything is coated with sauce. Add more olive oil if the pasta seems dry. Add the parmesan cheese and
serve topped with chopped nuts and more cheese. A dash of hot red pep- per flakes adds some zing!
www.adventurekayakmag.com 25
PASTA SO GOOD, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT HOMEMADE
the basil leaves, typically with garlic and pine nuts using a mortar and pestle. I’m not sug- gesting you carry a mortar and pestle in your kayak because there are so many tasty alter- natives from pesto pastes to instant powders like the one I use here. Tis is the simplest ver- sion I know, yet I’ve actually had people ask
me whether I brought along fresh homemade pesto. Tip: you can carry veggies like tomatoes or asparagus in a small olive barrel or a one- litre Nalgene bottle to keep them from getting crushed; just make sure the asparagus is dry or it will go mushy really quickly.
PHOTO: TARMO POLDMAA
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52