Posto Pesto Pasta! Check description for recipe

Posto Pesto Pasta Serves 2 people Ingredients For the posto pesto sauce 4 tbsp posto (white poppy seeds) 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves 6–7 cashews 3–4 garlic cloves 2 green chillies 1 olive (optional) 1 tbsp lemon juice 2–3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese Salt to taste 3–4 tbsp olive oil For the pasta 180–200g pasta 8–10 medium prawns Salt to taste 1 tsp garlic paste Oil for cooking Reserved pasta water Finishing Extra parmesan cheese Optional basil leaves Recipe Step 1 — Make the posto pesto Dry roast the posto lightly on low flame till aromatic. Do not brown it. In a blender add roasted posto, basil, garlic, cashews, green chilli, olive, lemon juice, parmesan, salt and oil. Blend into a slightly coarse sauce. It does not need to be perfectly smooth. Step 2 — Prep the prawns Clean the prawns. Marinate with salt and garlic paste. Rest for 10–15 minutes. Step 3 — Boil the pasta Boil pasta in heavily salted water. Cook till slightly underdone because it will finish in the sauce. Reserve plenty of pasta water before draining. Step 4 — Fry the prawns Heat oil in a pan. If available, use regular olive oil. Avoid extra virgin olive oil for this step. Fry prawns till just cooked. Remove and keep aside. Step 5 — Cook the sauce In the same pan add the posto pesto sauce. Keep flame low. Do not let the sauce brown. Add pasta water little by little while cooking. Cook about 1 minute till silky. Step 6 — Finish the pasta Add the pasta directly into the sauce. Add more pasta water generously because the sauce absorbs a lot of liquid. Mix well. Add extra parmesan cheese. Cook for maximum 2 minutes. Add the prawns back. Final step Turn off the flame. Add more parmesan cheese and mix for 1 minute off heat. Serve immediately. Important Notes Parmesan is important here. Processed cheese will change the flavor completely. Slightly coarse pesto texture works better than ultra smooth. Pasta water is critical for emulsifying the sauce. Never brown the pesto sauce or the fresh basil flavor will be ruined.