This pesto with cashews is totally customizable according to your taste (& availability of ingredients). Learn how to make your own roasted garlic pesto for a quick and easy pasta dinner like angel hair with pesto!
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Brush the garlic cloves with olive oil and wrap them in a piece of baking paper and place in the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes. (note 1)
Spread cashews on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Alternatively, the garlic and cashews can be dry roasted (separately) in a pan on stovetop until browned. Roast the garlic with the skin and remove it after it cools down.
Place the cashews, roasted garlic, parmesan, chilies (if using), salt and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add the mint and cilantro and process until you get the desired consistency. (see the post above for chunky vs smooth pesto)
While the motor is still running, add olive oil and process for a minute more.
How to cook angel hair pasta
Boil water (about 3 liters/12 cups for this recipe) in a large stockpot with 1 tablespoon of salt. There should be enough water and space for the pasta to move around. So choose a large pot to boil the pasta.Angel hair pasta typically takes 2 to 4 minutes to cook depending on the brand. Cook 1 minute lesser than the timespecified in the package. Mine said 2 minutes so I cooked for 1 minute.Drain, reserving a cup of pasta water. Transfer to a large bowl.
Angel hair with pesto
Add pesto to the pasta and 3 tablespoons of pasta water and toss well.
Before serving, add the required amount of remaining water, a little at a time and toss. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.
Notes
Roasting garlic heads: It may not be (energy) efficient to roast 2 cloves of garlic in the oven. Whole garlic heads can be roasted in a similar way for 25 to 30 minutes. The remaining cloves can be refrigerated. Mashed roasted garlic tastes great in dips, pasta sauces, garlic bread and almost any recipe that uses garlic.
Substitute: For a nut-free option, swap cashews with an equal amount of toasted pumpkin seeds. (Look for more substitutions for cashew pesto in the post above.)
Add-ons: Sun-dried tomatoes, sliced olives, toasted walnuts, crumbled feta cheese, chopped parsley and roasted vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts and zucchini can be added for more flavor and nutrition.