Creamy Pesto with Asparagus over Pasta...

Some people say they don't like too much green food, or even not at all.  Those people have no idea what they are missing.

Pasta and a homemade pesto, topped with shredded parmesan cheese.

This shot was shot for a client.  They really wanted to feature the food, and they realized that with all the pasta, it could get confusing what was going on.  We decided to come in tight and really focus on the heart of the dish.  The propping was all done by our art director who did a fantastic job of splashing the right colors together to feature the pesto.

To light this shot, it was actually very simple.  Our main light was a very large soft light source from the right side.  We wanted to give the natural light looks, so we didn't over light it.  We then put in a small white card close to left side of the bowl, which really filled in the dark holes created by our "sun".  Then to give it just a little bit of pop, we gave it a point light source from the back left.  The food stylist did a great job of keeping this very simple and elegant.  Food styling wise, this shot could have been a nightmare if the stylist wasn't careful.  Pasta can be very difficult to style properly.


To make a dish, similar to the photo above, follow the recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• Asparagus to desired amount
• 1 optional Avocado
• 11 oz of Pasta, preferably linguine.

Directions:

1. Cook desired amount of pasta in boiling water.
2. While it's cooking, mix all ingredients in a food processor except for asparagus. Blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic, and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper if you wish.
3. Once pasta has finished cooking, strain it and return the pasta to the pot or into a large mixing bowl.
4. Combine the pesto sauce with the pasta and mix together until all the pasta it thoroughly coated.
5. If you wish to have a bit of extra cheese on top, sprinkle shavings on after each serving is plated.