Content
What Is Pesto Fusilli?
Pesto fusilli in pesto sauce is a famous Italian pasta recipe that consists of fusilli pasta and a basil sauce called pesto.
Pasta fusilli has a characteristic spiral shape. The pesto sauce easily binds to the spiral shape of the pasta.
Pesto sauce is a green sauce, the name of which is immediately associated with the main ingredient of this sauce – basil.
In the picture: raw vegan pesto fusilli pasta on a plate
Where Does Pesto Fusilli Pasta Come From?
The pesto sauce, as well as the pesto fusilli pasta, originate from the Italian region of Liguria, specifically the city of Genoa.
In the picture: raw vegan pesto fusilli pasta on a plate pictured from above
What Does 'Fusilli al Pesto' Mean?
The name fusilli al pesto consists of three words:
- Fusilli
The word fusilli originates from the Italian word fuso, which means spindle. This pasta got its name due to its spiral shape, which resembles twisted threads around a spindle. A spindle was a tool used to make thread.In the past, people made fusilli pasta by hand, by winding strips of pasta around a thin rod or spindle to get the distinctive spiral shape of this pasta.
The word fusilli itself is a diminutive and plural form of the word fuso, i.e. spindle. So fusilli means little spindles.
- Al
Â
The word al means in. - Pesto
Â
The word pesto comes from the Italian verb pestare, which means to crush / to grind. This refers to the traditional method of making pesto, in which the ingredients – basil, garlic, pine nuts and other ingredients – are crushed with a pestle in a mortar.The full name of this basil sauce is pesto alla Genovese, which indicates that this green and creamy sauce originates from the city of Genoa (Genova – in Italian).
Pesto is a word that describes the very technique of making this sauce – crushing the ingredients in a mortar until an aromatic, creamy sauce is created.
Together, fusilli al pesto means spiral pasta in a sauce that was made by crushing the ingredients in a mortar.
In the picture: the kitchen where raw vegan pesto fusilli pasta is being made
What Kind of Pasta Goes with Pesto Sauce?
Pesto sauce goes best with fusilli pasta.
In the picture: ingredients for raw vegan pesto fusilli pasta
What Are Pine Nuts?
Pine nuts are seeds found inside the cones of some types of pine trees. Small pine nuts are delicious, creamy and rich in nutrients.
Pine nuts are an important ingredient in making the original pesto all Genovese recipe.
Order raw pine nuts HERE.
In the picture: raw pine nuts in a bowl surrounded with a decorative evergreen branch
Pesto Fusilli in 5 Words
If you ever find yourself on a hypothetical association quiz at which you get the following 5 words:
- Genoa
- fusilli
- pine nuts
- basil
- mortar & pestle
You can be sure that the correct answer is fusilli al pesto alla genovese!
Quiz
Recipe
Pesto Fusilli - Raw Vegan Pasta
Equipment
- kitchen scale
- Blender
- ear muffs
- dehydrator
- reverse osmosis water filter
- knife
- chopping board
- vegetable peeler
- spiralizer
- mortar and pestle
Ingredients
Fusilli
- 2 lbs zucchinis
Pesto Sauce
- 0.7 oz flax seeds
- 1 oz sesame seeds
- 0.35 oz pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup basil
- 1 tsp dried celery
Instructions
Flax seeds
- First we prepare the flax seeds. Flax seeds have an indigestible outer layer. In this way, the nutrients inside the flax seeds can be used in the body only when the flax seeds are ground. Personally, I buy whole flax seeds, grind them myself in the blender and keep them in an airtight glass jar. The reason I prefer to grind flax seeds myself is that flax seeds, just like all seeds, contain a lot of fat. Fatty acids tend to go rancid quickly when exposed to air, which happens during grinding. For this reason, it is best that the ground flax seeds are as fresh as possible.Measure out 0.7 oz / 20 g of ground flax seeds.Soak the ground flax seeds in a little water, mix them and let them sit.
Zucchinis
- Wash the zucchini in clean water. It is extremely important that the water in which we wash food is clean and free of all the harmful impurities that are typically found in tap water, such as chlorine, fluoride, arsenic, sulfates, pesticides, etc. I use a reverse osmosis water filter in my kitchen. With this reverse osmosis water filter, you can have clean water running out from your kitchen tap. Order your water filter HERE.Cut off the zucchini ends.Peel the zucchinis.Spiralizer is a very practical device for making vegetable pasta. Place a flat knife on the spiralizer.Place one zucchini at a time on the spiralizer and make fusillli pasta. Fusilli pasta is a spiral pasta. Spiral pasta types go very well with pesto sauce.Transfer the fusilli pasta to a bowl.
Sesame Seeds
- Now we are going to make Permigianno Regianno, or Susamggiano!Measure out 0.7 oz / 20 g of sesame seeds.Transfer the sesame seeds to the mortar.Grind the sesame seeds with the mortar and pestle. Transfer the susamggiano to a cup so that you have an empty mortar for the next step.
Garlic
- Separate, peel and chop one garlic clove.Transfer the chopped garlic to the mortar.Crush the garlic in the mortar.
Pine Nuts
- Measure out 0.35 oz / 10 g of pine nuts.Pine nuts are a type of nut that grows on some types of pine trees. Pine nuts are actually pine seeds that are very creamy and delicious. These seeds are an essential ingredient in the original pesto recipe. Order pine nuts HERE.Transfer the pine nuts to the mortar.Crush the pine nuts with the mortar and pestle.
Dried Celery
- Add one teaspoon of dried celery to the mortar. Grind all the ingredients together.
Basil
- Separate the basil leaves from the branch.Place the basil leaves in a bowl. Wash the basil in clean water.Dry the basil on a paper towel.Chop the basil.Transfer the chopped basil into the mortar.Grind the basil with the mortar and pestle.
Susamggiano (Ground Sesame)
- Add two-thirds of the sesame seeds to the mortar. Grind all the ingredients together.
Flax Seed Milk
- Transfer the soaked ground flax seeds to the blender.Protect your hearing with ear muffs. Noise accumulatively and irreversibly damages the cells of the inner ear. Because of this, it is very important to protect the inner ear from noise. Order quality ear muffs HERE.Blend ground flax seeds and water. You will get flax seed milk.Pour the flax seed milk into the mortar.
Pesto
- Grind all the ingredients together with the mortar and pestle until they are combined into a pesto.Pour the pesto over the fusilli pasta.Mix pesto and fusilli pasta.
Serving
- Serve fusili pasta in pesto on a plate.Top your pesto pasta with some Permiggiano Reggiano made with sesame seeds.Enjoy!
Enjoy Raw Vegan Cuisine
with the Raw Vegan Culinary Set
In the picture: Marina from Health Glows holding a plate with raw vegan pesto fusilli pasta
Marina from Health Glows
As a certified raw vegan diet and healthy lifestyle coach, Marina helps her clients and followers to transition to a raw vegan diet in a proven and sustainable way in order to get rid of health problems and build a high level of health.