Pesto pasta: a hiking classic

DifficultyBeginner

Pesto pasta is one of our favourite bushwalking meals. It's lightweight, quick and easy to cook, and is satisfying and delicious at the end of a long day's hiking.

Yields2 Servings
Prep Time5 minsCook Time25 minsTotal Time30 mins
Summary
 415 g total weight (excluding water)
 0.90 l total volume (excluding water)
 This recipe uses perishable ingredients. You should use your own judgement as to whether it's suitable for your hike.
Water and fuel
 800 ml total water
Ingredients
 100 ml basil pesto sauce, with a long use-by date
 250 g pasta
 100 g snow peas (optional)
 ½ tbsp salt (for pasta water)
Packing before your hike
1

Double-bag the pesto sauce using freezer bags, trying to remove any air before tieing up the first bag. Put the pasta and snow peas (if using) in separate bags. Put the salt in a small freezer bag.

Pesto pasta ingredients: pesto sauce, pasta, snow peas and salt. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Trim the snow peas (if using), and cut into 3cm pieces.

Snow peas on hiker's cutting mat. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
3

Put water and salt in pan and bring to the boil. Add pasta.

Pasta in salted boiling water, on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

4

Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. Add the snow peas (if using) a minute or two before the pasta finishes cooking.

Snow peas added to cooking pasta on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Drain pasta and stir in pesto sauce. Divide between bowls.

Pesto pasta in hiking bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Ingredients

Summary
 415 g total weight (excluding water)
 0.90 l total volume (excluding water)
 This recipe uses perishable ingredients. You should use your own judgement as to whether it's suitable for your hike.
Water and fuel
 800 ml total water
Ingredients
 100 ml basil pesto sauce, with a long use-by date
 250 g pasta
 100 g snow peas (optional)
 ½ tbsp salt (for pasta water)

Directions

Packing before your hike
1

Double-bag the pesto sauce using freezer bags, trying to remove any air before tieing up the first bag. Put the pasta and snow peas (if using) in separate bags. Put the salt in a small freezer bag.

Pesto pasta ingredients: pesto sauce, pasta, snow peas and salt. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Trim the snow peas (if using), and cut into 3cm pieces.

Snow peas on hiker's cutting mat. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
3

Put water and salt in pan and bring to the boil. Add pasta.

Pasta in salted boiling water, on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

4

Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. Add the snow peas (if using) a minute or two before the pasta finishes cooking.

Snow peas added to cooking pasta on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Drain pasta and stir in pesto sauce. Divide between bowls.

Pesto pasta in hiking bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Notes

Pesto pasta: a hiking classic
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