* Note: My friend and I shared the pasta displayed in the picture, so what you see above is meant for 2 servings. The nutrition facts, ingredients and price list below show the information for 1 serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories | 661 kcal |
Total Fat | 36.0 grams |
Sodium | 435.8 grams |
Total Carbohydrate | 58.8 grams |
- Dietary Fiber | 0.8 grams |
Protein | 29.3 grams |
Ingredients and Price List
Basil Pesto
Food | Amount Used for 2 Servings | Amount Used for 1 Serving | Unit Cost (SGD) | Cost for 1 Serving (SGD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fresh basil | 2 cup, ~40 leaves/~2g | 1 cup, ~20 leaves/~1g | $4.64 (From FairPrice for 50g) | ~$0.93 |
Olive oil | 4.5 tsp | 2.25 tsp | Negligible | |
Garlic | 2 cloves | 1 clove | Negligible | |
30 g | 15 g | $7.15 (From Cold Storage for 100g) | $1.07 | |
~14 pieces/~7g | ~7 pieces/~3.5g | ~$0.12 | ||
Water | 3 tbsp | 1.5 tbsp | - | Negligible |
Lemon juice | 1 tbsp | 0.5 tbsp | Negligible | |
Salt | To taste | To taste | - | Negligible |
Black pepper | To taste | To taste | - | Negligible |
| SUBTOTAL: | $28.28 | $2.12 |
Pasta
Food | Amount Used for 2 Servings | Amount Used for 1 Serving | Unit Cost (SGD) | Cost for 1 Serving (SGD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
140g | 70g | $13.65 (From Scoop Wholefoods for 350g) | $2.73 | |
Salt | To season boiling water | To season boiling water | - | Negligible |
| SUBTOTAL: | $13.65 | $2.73 |
Topping
Food | Amount Used for 2 Servings | Amount Used for 1 Serving | Unit Cost (SGD) | Cost for 1 Serving (SGD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fassler brand original smoked salmon | 75g | 37.5g | $3.96 | |
120g | 60g | $8.99 (From Fairprice Xtra for 120g) | $4.50 | |
| | SUBTOTAL: | $16.94 | $8.46 |
Overall
Total Unit Cost (SGD) | $58.87 |
|---|---|
Total Cost Per Use (SGD) | $13.31 |
My good friend Michelle, who is also a fellow foodie (check out her instagram food account @_livewellwithpinky_), is a pharmacist graduate who is health-conscious and documents her meals every day. She came over to visit my place the other day, and we decided to cook a meal together. We came up with the idea of making homemade basil pesto since we've never done that before.
And when I say homemade basil pesto, I meant plucking fresh leaves from basil plants with the roots still intact kind of homemade. That's how fresh it was, and it was kind of funny as I had never bought such fresh culinary herbs before.
Turns out, making homemade basil pesto isn't that difficult! You just need to take multiple breaks while crushing the ingredients in the blender to check the consistency and do a taste test and adjust to your liking. If I remember correctly, the entire meal preparation and cooking, including cooking the pasta while blending the pesto, only took about 30 minutes or so. It could be even less if you weren't busy talking and catching up with your friend, haha.
I learned that pesto is a sauce originated in Genoa, Italy. The word "pesto" is the past tense of the Genoese verb "pestare", which means to pound or crush, referring to the traditional method of making the sauce using a mortar and pestle. It is typically made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. In fact, this quintessential pesto recipe, as mentioned, is called "pesto alla Genovese" (translation: "Genoese Pesto"). However, you can't go around telling people you've made "pesto alla Genovese" at home - apparently, this sauce is D.O.P.-protected, and only sauces made with a precise way using authentic ingredients such as the D.O.P. basil from Genoa can be called "pesto alla Genovese".
Pesto is often used as a sauce for pasta, but it can also be used as a spread for bread, a topping for grilled meats, or a dip for vegetables. There are also many variations of pesto that use different types of nuts, such as walnuts or, in our case, almonds, or different herbs, such as parsley or cilantro. Since basil is the most commonly used herb in pesto, the term "pesto" is often used interchangeably with "basil pesto". So, it is correct to simply call the sauce in this post "pesto".
Of course, the toppings deserve a shout-out of their own - smoked salmon and burrata cheese. Let's talk about smoked salmon first. I've only had smoked salmon once before this homemade meal when I had my custom-made bagel at Two Men Bagel House in Singapore. I've written a short food review on their bagels on uWave, an up-and-coming Singapore-based content sharing platform - here's a quick shameless plug if you would like to read my posts: my uwave account is @caloriecountsnet.
My first impression of smoked salmon was that it was salty. Not that it is a bad thing; it was just the first sensation I felt upon my first bite, and I was taken by surprise as I did not expect a rich flavour. Hence, the saltiness put me off a little, but after my second time of having smoked salmon with pasta in this meal, I found myself craving for smoked salmon a few weeks after this. And so I decided: I like smoked salmon. It is good.
In addition to being good for your taste buds, smoked salmon is good for your body too - it is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which are crucial for brain function, heart health, and reducing inflammation throughout the body. They are also believed to help reduce the risk of heart diseases, stroke, and some types of cancer. Side note: avocado, as mentioned in Avocado Toast Three Ways, is also a great source of healthy fats, but the healthy fats found in high contentrations in avocados are different as compared to those in salmons. Avocado is a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which are known to help lower cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity. On the other hand, omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Nevertheless, both are considered healthy fats that have different benefits and functions in the body.
A word of caution about smoked salmon, though: even though it is rich in healthy fats, as it was cured with salt prior to smoking, it also has high sodium content. Consuming too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Hence, it is advised to consume smoked salmon in moderation.
Moving on to the second topping: burrata cheese. I requested to add this ingredient as I've always seen pictures of it but never ate it before, so I was curious about its taste. As I don't usually include cheese in my dishes, it is hard to compare or even describe the taste of burrata cheese, but my one-word first impression of it would be creamy. I didn't expect to experience that soft, light, creamy texture, and I have a feeling that even if I were to finish the entire 120g of burrata cheese myself (I didn't, as I shared it with my friend), I wouldn't get sick of it.
Burrata cheese is a soft cow's milk cheese which could be mistaken for fresh mozzarella based on its external appearance, as both are plump and white. However, burrata cheese is distinguishable by the soft cheese curds and fresh cream packaged inside an outer shell made of mozzarella - the stuffing method was invented as a form of minimising food waste in the 1920s (as it was a thrifty way to make use of leftover mozzarella scraps).
Even though burrata cheese does offer some health benefits as a dairy product, for example improving bone mineralisation (especially during development stages) and protecting against dental decay, it still contains some saturated fat (which is less healthy than unsaturated fats) and is high in calories. Therefore, it should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Above all, burrata cheese isn't cheap - fun fact: in the 1980s, only lawyers and aristocrats could afford these high-end cheeses, which are complex to make and have a short shelf life.
Overall, the cost of this homemade meal is $13.31, which is much higher than my other homemade meals, hence I considered this a "gourmet-styled" dish. However, I also posted a "budget-friendlier" version of basil pesto with pasta which only cost $4.81 - be sure to check it out! :)
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