Nutrition Facts
Calories | 520 kcal |
Total Fat | 19.3 grams |
Sodium | 360.6 grams |
Total Carbohydrate | 62.8 grams |
- Dietary Fiber | 4.7 grams |
Protein | 26.0 grams |
Ingredients and Price List
Basil Pesto
Food | Amount Used | Unit Cost (SGD) | Cost Per Use (SGD) |
|---|---|---|---|
26g | $5.25 for 130g | $1.05 | |
| SUBTOTAL: | $5.25 | $1.05 |
Pasta
Food | Amount Used | Unit Cost (SGD) | Cost Per Use (SGD) |
|---|---|---|---|
80g | $1.95 for 500g | $0.31 | |
Salt | To season boiling water | - | Negligible |
| SUBTOTAL: | $1.95 | $0.31 |
Topping
Food | Amount Used | Unit Cost (SGD) | Cost Per Use (SGD) |
|---|---|---|---|
Egg | 1 egg | $0.32 | |
22.6g (1 slice) | $6.50 for 113g which consists 5 slices, got it from Cold Storage on sale (U.P. $10.95) | $1.30 | |
Cherry Tomatoes | 2 pieces (~40g) | $6.90 for 240g which consists 13 pieces, got it from Cold Storage on sale (U.P. $9.90) | $1.06 |
3 pieces | $0.05 | ||
10g | $7.15 for 100g | $0.72 | |
Black pepper | To garnish | - | Negligible |
| SUBTOTAL: | $28.30 | $3.45 |
Overall
Total Unit Cost (SGD) | $35.50 |
|---|---|
Total Cost Per Use (SGD) | $4.81 |
Weeks after cooking the homemade basil pesto with spaghetti topped with smoked salmon and burrata cheese, I found myself craving that dish again. There's something about smoked salmon that just inspires the appetite - probably due to the combination of its rich smoky flavour, which is savoury and slightly sweet, as well as the saltiness that comes from the curing process, which enhances the salmon's natural flavours. Either way, I knew I had cravings to satisfy, and so I had to make this meal.
However, I didn't have the heart to buy a burrata cheese this time round - I went for a cheaper topping alternative and made a poached egg instead. I also decided to use store-bought pesto to compare the nutritional value and cost this dish to the gourmet-styled, homemade version. Of course, the lack of burrata cheese this time largely explains the lower calorie intake and cost - nevertheless, it was interesting to see and taste the differences.
Instead of using high-end organic amaranth spaghetti, I bought an affordable pack of Meadows penne rigate this time (seriously, how does Meadows keep their prices so low for all of their products??). Speaking of which, isn't it interesting that there are so many types of pasta shapes? I mean, there are about 350 different types of pasta in Italy alone, each featuring unique contours, ridges, diameters and lengths. Pasta wasn't cut into random dimentions; in fact, each pasta was styled with a purpose. Some shapes are designed to hold sauces or ingredients better, while others are meant to be stuffed or layered. Some shapes are thin and delicate, while others are thick and hearty. And some shapres are long and thin, while others are short and stubby.
Penne is one of the most popular shapes and it translates to the word "pen". It is a cylindrical pasta shape with a diagonal cut at both ends and is said to be inspired by a quill. There is penne lisce (translation: "smooth penne") and penne rigate (translation: "ridged penne"), which is used in this dish. The major difference that sets these variations apart is that penne rigate has ridges that run from one end to the other, while penne lisce lacks these ridges and has a smoother texture. Apparently, the ridges help the sauce adhere to the pasta better, allowing for a more flavourful and satisfying eating experience.
I don't remember if I've said this before, but I shall emphasise again - I am not a very experienced or good cook. I went overseas to study abroad alone and learned to cooked on my own to keep my food budget low, hence it was more for survival's sake. Therefore, I still get slightly nervous at cooking eggs, especially poaching eggs, haha. I can never guarantee that it will succeed; however, practicing does help, and I am proud to say that about 7 out of 10 times, I could get it right now. :)
I learned how to poach eggs from watching Tasty's "How To Cook Perfect Eggs Every Time" YouTube video and Food Network's "How to Poach Eggs For Beginners | Food Network". Combining tips from both videos, this is my way of poaching eggs:
Fill in water into a pot. It needs to be able to cover the egg that we'll drop into the water later, so it needs to be a sufficient amount. Be careful not to fill in too much of water such that it may spill out of the pot when it is simmering later.
Heat up the water, but don't bring it to a boiling temperature. When it is simmerring - you'll see bubbles appearing and moving from the bottom of the pot to the surface - then you'll know to turn down the heat a little to avoid the water from boiling and bubbling too much.
While heating up the water, crack an egg into a bowl and set it aside. Always a good idea to prepare the egg and set it aside rather than cracking the egg directly into the water.
Add some white/light-coloured vinegar to the hot water. This helps the eggs to hold their shape and prevent the egg whites from spreading out too much. Scientifically speaking, this is because the acid in vinegar reacts with the proteins in the egg whites, causing them to coagulate and solidify more quickly.
Use a spoon/ladle and stir the hot water, forming a whirlpool. Stir vigorously, but be careful not to spill the hot water out of the pot.
Drop the egg into the middle of the whirlpool. Let the circulating water motion help to wrap the egg white around the egg yolk and slowly cook the egg.
Use a strainer spoon/sieve to remove the egg from the water when you notice that the egg whites aren't translucent anymore. The timing is kind of tricky - it depends on the heat control and water temperature etc., so I can't really put a duration here - you'll just have to guesstimate and do some experimentation.
Dab the strainer spoon/sieve with the egg on a kitchen towel to remove the excess water. If you're not serving the egg immediately, you can put the egg in a bowl of iced cold water and set it aside first. Then, when you're ready to serve it, just submerge the egg in a bowl of boiling water, and dab it dry before serving it.
Serve the poached egg and top it with a pinch of black pepper.
And there you have it: poached egg. Another delicious way of eating poached egg is having it with avocado on toast.
Of course, without the burrata cheese, this budget-friendly version of basil pesto with pasta tasted blander than the gourmet-styled version. I was also much more stingier in terms of the amount of basil pesto used this time - just barely enough to ensure the pasta had sufficient taste, whereas during the previous time, it was adjusted well to be flavourful in every bite. The amount of smoked salmon was also much less this time than the last - 22.6g per serving this time compared to 37.5g per serving in the last.
Overall, the gourmet-styled homemade version was much tastier, although it cost more, while this time it was much more budget-friendly but the taste wasn't as impressive. But as I was just cooking for myself, as long as it's edible, it's good enough haha.
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