If you cook pesto with pasta do you use a whole jar?

[hogu]

Is this where I'm going wrong as I've only ever used a scoop from the jar yet see many suggestions to use a jar??

@Cocksinsocks

No way. It's not far off 1,000 calories a jar

So for two adults with an average serving of pasta that’s around 700 calories which is a normal amount for an evening meal, I see no issue with that.

It depends how many people you are cooking for.

I would say for 3 people for example a jar would last three meals. Eg 9 portions

@Chamonixshoopshoop

A teaspoon does 4 here, so about 6 servings a jar... depending on brand the salt in a jar can be pretty high!

That's not even condiment size.

@Cocksinsocks fair enough if you are watching your diet, can see why you'd be a bit more reserved.

@osbertthesyrianhamster I cook nearly everything from scratch but there are times I want a quick and easy meal with little washing up and faffing in cupboards to search for ingredients. I buy Aldi pesto (admittedly I don't need vegan) and it's very cheap but came out really well on the eat well for less programme so I shove the jar in! I find making my own very expensive with the cost of pine nuts at the moment but I do make it when I have a glut of basil.

How can you even taste a teaspoon between four?

A jar does 4 servings for us. I’m vegan so get the sacla low fat or free from one and those aren’t as high in calories as the standard ones.

It's 80p.
OK perhaps more expensive in other supermarkets but hardly expensive.

Always a jar between 2 adults and 2 kids here. Could not get my head around using any less!

No wonder my jeans are tight....,

Exactly as others have said 1 jar = 3-4 people's portion of pasta. Any less is basically just food colouring.

If I use Sacpa Pesto sauce (the premium brand in most supermarkets) then you just need a spoon or two.

If you use shop own brands then you need most of the jar because they have almost no flavour to them.

I find differently @Kpo58.
I like their Nduja one, and still use the same amount.

A teaspoon?! We use a whole jar of vegan red pesto for two of us. I’m not going to make pesto pasta and leave out the pesto part.

And I would and do eat a whole fresh pot of pesto by myself as a treat with pasta and veg. Fuck the calories, it’s comfort food.

How can anyone answer that question without knowing how many people/servings you mean??? A jar for one person is a lot different than a jar between a family of 6 or a party of 20.

If you'd read the thread you'd know that most people have said how many people the dish is for.

I freeze what I don't use in ice cube trays. I'd probably use around a tablespoon per person so a jar would do maybe 4 to 6 portions?

I always forget about pesto pasta so almost never make it. But I did pick up a nice looking jar in M&S that was only a quid so am going to make pesto pasta with chicken and sun dried tomatoes.

God no! It's so salty 🤮
We make our own. Much nicer.

We usually make our own but when we don't we definitely use the whole jar!

Aha I had always thought you were meant to use a tiny amount too! Then again that time I put too much in wasn't good, and I love garlic.

I buy the vegan one because I can't eat cheese either. But I think they vary a lot between brands.

It is a matter of personal taste, but no I never did. You need a little bit of boiling pasta water to thin it out or it doesn't coat the pasta well.

Half a jar for two people.

Red pesto in this house, not green.

2 teenage boys, pasta for them with pesto and chicken. Whole jar. They love the intensity of the flavour. If Dh also has the same dinner it is still one jar. I am a green pesto lover but the teens don't like it as much so I tend to put that into a lovely sandwich with mozzarella.

Half to 3/4 of a jar plus a spoonful of creme fraiche

Two jars . Six of us eating it so a lot of pasta but yeah, one small jar is never enough.

If I make it for the dc (11 and 13) I use half the jar.