Pesto Cavatappi

[Mylegsbig]

the basil wont burn if you add it once the heat has been turned off...the premade pesto was probably chilled a bit either way, if it was premade as you said it had to have been sitting in a fridge

the cream and white wine mellows the taste of the basil which is why it isnt as pronounced in the restaurant

 

[Buffwannabe]

Maybe I should let it sit in the fridge also, but the main point I want to get across is:

I REALLY DONT THINK THE SAUCE IS MADE OF BASIL LEAVES EXCLUSIVLEY. I THINK THEY USE A MIXTURE OF OREGONO, BASIL, AND PARSLEY. THEY JUST CALL IT A BASIL PESTO FOR SIMPLIFICATION

I wish there was a way for you guys to taste what I have tasted, but if any of you guys live in the chicago burbs area, please visit that place and try out the dish and taste for yourself. I am dying to know what it is made of. It is very simple recipe, but i just suck at technique (considering i dont know how to flip)

for store locations, go to www.noodles.com and you can find 1 closest to you

thanks for all your help guys.

 

[JMediger]

I Went And Tried It!!

Ok, so the ladies at work have been talking about this really good, new, fast food italian restaurant in town so on a whim, I asked them the name. It's a Noodles & Company!! So I thought, "Self, let's do some investigating ..."

I ordered the dish and asked the staff "You are calling this pesto so I assume there is ONLY basil in this dish".
They replied, "Yes, only basil, EVOO, garlic, parm., etc..."
I then pressed them with "There is NO other spice ... oregano, parsley, kale (I got that from you Mish) - right? Because those all upset my stomach "
They replied "No, NOTHING else" and then they gave me a small sample of only their pesto, before it was tossed with the pasta and cream.

All I tasted (and saw - there was texture, it was not creamy) was basil ... was it a little tamer than homemade - yes but it would have to be. I am guessing it is premade and shipped to their various sites to ensure consistancy in their menu options. The time it is sitting is going to allow it to mellow some. Also, they might have their own breed of basil, I know mine is different than my mom's 5 blocks away simply because of the soil and what I feed it. Also, how old the basil is before you even start the process will affect the taste (sweeter, a bit skunky, mellow, etc...). But I digress ...

As was mentioned before, you can watch them prepare your dish so ...
They quick sauted mushrooms (I'm guessing these were predone, the saute was to reheat) and fresh, diced tomato.
They then added a scoop of the cream / wine mixture and they were using 1/4 cup ladles (no, I didn't ask, I just know the size from experience).
They then moved the pan over about 2 feet, I'm guessing to remove from heat (you can't see the burners) and added a ladle (1/4 cup again) of pesto.
Flip, Flip, Flip, Scrape, Flip, Flip, Flip, Scrape, dump into bowl, hand to next person to add cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.

That's it.

Basil. That's all there is.

The dish was actually quite good. I took it back to my office and picked around on it for a while to investigate it further. I also had my office mate taste it as well and she agreed, only basil.

Anyone else have a food mission or quandry to solve? This was almost as fun as the guy who listed the ingredients for their challenge and we all gave ideas and recipes ...

 

[hsnow73]

My favorite Pesto recipe, but adjust garlic according to your taste:

3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated.

Cooks' notes:
• Pesto keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, 1 week.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

I always use Costco's Grana Padano Parmesan instead of the more expensive one.
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/

 

[Buffwannabe]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

JMEDIGER, I REALLY REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TRYING OUT THE DISH, AND I AM GLAD YOU ENJOYED IT. NOW THAT THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED, I GUESS THE DISH IS

EXCLUSIVLEY MADE UP OF BASIL LEAVES ONLY

SO THAT MEANS SEVERAL THINGS:

I TOTALLY SUCK AT TECHNIQUE, AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY, I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REPLICATE THEIR DISH FOR 3 REASONS:

#1 THEIR SAUCE IS PRE-MADE AND PUT IN THE FRIDGE, WHICH CAUSES A MELLOW TASTE OF THE SAUCE.

#2 THEY HAVE A CERTAIN BREED OF BASIL LEAVES, THAT I CANNOT IDENTIFY, CONSIDERING THAT I JUST PICKED UP BASIL LEAVES IN THE PRODUCE SECTION (ASSUMING THAT THERE IS ONLY 1 BREED OF BASIL LEAVES)

#3) I SUCK AT TOSSING, AND I DONT WANT MY FOOD TO FALL ON THE GROUND.


I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT PUTTING MUSHROOMS, TOMATOES, AND THE CAVATAPPI

THE HARDEST PART IS MAKING THE SAUCE EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THEY MAKE IT.

OH WELL I GUESS ILL TRY AGAIN THEN

THANKS AGAIN

 

[Buffwannabe]

Btw What Is "evoo"

And I reallly dont think they put that much garlic in their sauce, along with parmasean cheese

 

[JMediger]

evoo is Extra Virgin Olive Oil ... While there are several strands of basil (lemon, cinnamon, etc...), what you bought at the store was probly just plain old basil. What recipe are you following for your pesto? There were alot of good ones shared here - I would really encourage you to try one (just the plain old basil pesto). You don't need to toss in the pan if you are only using the pesto with pasta. Dump your pasta in a bowl and pour your pesto out of the food processor (or blender - whichever you are using) onto it and mix it in the bowl.
You can make your pesto as mellow as you want by using less basil and more evoo and cheese or more punchy by using more basil. Let it sit in the fridge for a bit before using as well and see how that goes.
Finally, I am GUESSING they have their own basil just like McDonalds has their own potato for their fries. It would guarantee consistancy in their flavors.
Good Luck!

 

[Buffwannabe]

The type of basil i want is something that matches exactly with the dish you tried. I dont want any other type of basil.

I am assuming that they reduced the amount of parmasean and garlic in their pesto sauce. I put 2 cloves of garlic in one of my previous attempts, and holy crap was it strong! i dont need that strong of a garlic.

By the way, do you think they added any additional salt and pepper or any other seasonsings to the dish?

Has anyone else been to that place, and tried that disH?

thanks everyone for all your help and input

 

[Ishbel]

Is anyone else getting tired reading about a dish which seems to have been pre-cooked and then reconsituted?!!!

 

[Buffwannabe]

No Ishbel, Cause The Dish Is Awesome!

 

[SuperChicken]

Hi! I've been to Noodles and Co. several times and this is one of my favorite dishes. The pesto that they use doesn't have parmesan in it at all and there isn't as much oil in it as there is in the pestos that you buy in the store. Their italian dishes have somewhere between 9 and 11 ounces of cooked pasta in them. JMediger, you were right about the size of the ladle, and they use one scoop of each of the different sauces. I hope that helps.

 

[Buffwannabe]

man see! i knew there was something fishy

 

[shpj4]

I haven't been to Noodles and Company for many years. I remember their dishes and they were excellent.

Good luck with making your favorite dish.

 

[ChefJune]

"That Kraft Stuff" that comes in the green can is sawdust in comparison to real Parmigiano Reggiano! Truth to tell, it is sawdust in comparison to Wisconsin Parmesan shredded freshly from a chunk of the cheese....

A bit less expensive than Parmigiano Reggiano, is Grana Padano, an even older cheese, that comes from the Piedmont region of Italy. It is made in the same style as Parmigiano Reggiano and is a bit more pungent, but quite a few $$ less in price.

 

[karadekoolaid]

A bit less expensive than Parmigiano Reggiano, is Grana Padano, an even older cheese, that comes from the Piedmont region of Italy. It is made in the same style as Parmigiano Reggiano and is a bit more pungent, but quite a few $$ less in price.

I've just bought some imported Grana Padano at my suppliers. It cost about $10 cheaper per kilo - and I, personally, love the stronger flavour.

 

[Snoop Puss]

Buffwannabe, why not cheat on the pesto and buy a decent ready-made sauce? They all taste far milder (blander) than a freshly-made home-made version. Either that or make some a few days in advance with no cheese and only a tiny hint of garlic.

 

[buckytom]

I've just bought some imported Grana Padano at my suppliers. It cost about $10 cheaper per kilo - and I, personally, love the stronger flavour.

lidia bastianich often suggest grana over parmigiano. it is really good stuff. i've found the price comparable to other good italian parmigianos.

another good grating cheese is locatelli.

 

[bandonjan]

I have't tried grana padano, will have to do that. I also like
to use asiago, I like the strong flavor. Especially for lasagna.
Peolple are right, once you use Parmigiano Reggiano, you
get hooked. I like shaved in salads....

 

[ursulahoch]

Pesto (noodles & co style)

-boil the cavatoppi noodles.
-add some oil to the noodles
-sautee noodles (10 oz) + any veggies you want to add in sautee pan using cooking oil/ vegetable oil
-add 1 or 2 ounces of water and 1 ounce of (white cooking wine)
-when the water is gone add 1 ounce of cream
-sautee it up a bit
-at the end mix in the pesto sauce
and tada

 

[blissful]

Purple Basil!
Don't be afraid to use Purple basil leaves for pesto. When you grind them up, they turn a beautiful green, just like regular basil. ~Bliss