Pesto Pasta with Prosciutto & Rocket - Super Easy, Super Delicious Recipe

I cook this colorful, simple recipe at least every few weeks. Give it a try and let me know what you think:

Pesto Pasta with Prosciutto & Rocket

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• Couple of handfuls of washed baby rocket (or baby spinach)
• 6 slices of prosciutto, roughly torn into matchbox size pieces
• 300g of fusilli pasta (or any other short pasta)
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes halved
• 3 tbsp of store bought pesto sauce
• 2 tbsp of pine nuts
• Parmesan cheese to serve

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to the directions.
2. Meanwhile, spray a large saucepan with oil spray and cook the pine nuts on medium heat, stirring often until they are lightly browned (about 5 minutes).
3. Set aside and cook the prosciutto in the same pan with some more olive oil spray for 2-3 minutes until crisp.
4. Drain the pasta when cooked and add to the pan with the prosciutto then stir in the pesto sauce, rocket/spinach, pine nuts, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts until well combined.
5. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese and season with salt to taste.

Cooking tips

• Prepare ahead tasks: Chop the prosciutto and cherry tomatoes in advance plus toast the pine nuts and keep in an air tight container
• Ask the delicatessen at your local supermarket to shred a piece of parmesan cheese for you. I find I use much less parmesan when it’s shredded which is much better on my wallet and on my waistline!
• I usually buy a few extra slices of prosciutto as it is scrumptious added to many of your family meals. For example lightly fried then stirred through a side salad or we love to eat it fresh on its own (rolled up) as an appetizer for a pre-dinner treat
• Last time I made this dish I didn’t have spinach on hand so I chopped 2 handfuls of snow peas (sugar snap peas) in half and added it to boiling pasta water for the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking. I stirred it through in replacement of the spinach and it was delicious. It gave a nice soft crunch and lots of color to the dish. I personally prefer spinach or rocket however my husband loved the snow pea version … Guess we will have to take turns from now on : )

Hi There. I have updated the recipe now, thanks for bringing that to my attention. The pesto sauce is stirred in at step 4. Call me a cheat but I use a terrific store bought basil pesto sauce in a jar. I have a similar recipe that has red chili with spaghetti too which is a lovely light dish.