Make Your Own Pesto Cavatappi (Noodles & Co. Copycat Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is cavatappi pasta made of? ›

Cavatappi is a spiral pasta with a hollow center and outer ridges. Made with just durum wheat semolina and water, this springy spiral pasta originated in Southern Italy.

My favourite is penne or ziti (which is just penne with a smooth surface). I find it's the easiest to toss for even distribution and you get the “juiciest” pesto pasta.

Pesto, or pesto alla genovese, is a basil-based sauce that originated in Genoa, the capital of Liguria, Italy. Traditional pesto is made with basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan (or another type of hard Italian cheese, such as Pecorino).

Cavatappi: You can substitute rotini, rigatoni, bow-tie, or any small or medium-sized pasta.

Cavatappi. A popular, smooth corkscrew-shaped pasta, cavatappi is a fun one. The nooks and crannies hold plenty of sauce, making it perfect for baked pasta dishes. It's similar to cellentani, which has ridges.

Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan cheese; we often use Romano which has a stronger flavor. Basil pesto recipes often call for pine nuts, but you can easily substitute walnuts.

Pesto alla genovese ( Italian: [ˈpesto alla dʒenoˈveːse, -eːze]; lit. 'Genoese pesto') refers to the original dish.

In Liguria, pesto is usually eaten with trenette (a pasta shape similar to linguine) or trofie (short pasta made by rolling and twirling small pieces of dough by hand). However, I also love it with potato gnocchi.

Homemade basil pesto is a wonderfully versatile and tasty sauce/spread made from a handful of flavorful ingredients. It comes together in minutes and tastes worlds better than store-bought because it's so fresh.

Why is my homemade pesto turning brown? ›

The cause of pesto turning brown, or grey is usually because the herbs have started oxidising. The best way to slow that process is to reduce the amount of time the sauce is exposed to air.

A few black spots that aren't moldy or slimy doesn't make it totally unusable, but it isn't very appealing to eat. If the basil has many spots, I don't recommend making the pesto.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

Its scarcity, plus the fact that the plants are picked roots, soil, and all to ensure that only juvenile leaves make it into pesto, makes it extraordinarily expensive and something that only premium, artisan pesto makers can justify using.

Cavatappi is macaroni formed in a helical tube shape. Cavatappi is the Italian word for corkscrew. Cavatelli resembles a tiny hot dog bun. Commonly known as "shells" or "seashells." These are usually sold in the plain durum wheat variety, and also in colored varieties.

This grain is expertly milled with the texture of semolina for a superior feel and flavor, while retaining all of its healthy, whole-wheat goodness. 100% whole-wheat with no additives, fillers or enriched flours. Made in an egg and nut free facility.

Cavatappi is a short S-shaped pasta tube that looks similar to a small corkscrew. Its slender, spiral shape makes it great for serving with sauces, in salads, and baked in casseroles. Cavatappi works well with any sauce but pairs especially wonderfully with sauces that include vegetables and lean proteins.

This glossary breaks down the best short-cut pasta shapes from cavatappi to ziti, along with fun facts about where they originated in Italy and the best way to sauce them.