Creamy Pesto Pasta is an easy, cheesy backpacking meal that is quick to prep at home and cook on the trail. It only uses store-bought ingredients--no dehydrator needed for this one!
Put the creamy pesto sauce powder, pine nuts, and sun-dried tomatoes in a small bag. Put the parmesan cheese in a separate small bag (this helps in case the ingredients sweat on the trail) if not already individually packaged. Break the angel hair in half and place it into a larger zip-top bag along with the other ingredient baggies.
On Trail
Remove the angel hair and place it in your cook pot. Add water to just barely cover the noodles. You really don’t want a lot of extra water to deal with. Turn on the stove, bring the water to a boil, and cook the noodles for a few minutes until they are done (or boil for 1 minute and then place it in your pot cozy if using).
Take the pot off the heat and remove all but ¼ cup of the remaining water. You can either drink it (there are calories in there!) or dispose of it in a 6-inch deep hole (in accordance with Leave No Trace).
Add the remaining ingredients to create the sauce and finish with the olive oil (if using). Stir until the sauce is creamy and the noodles are coated.
Notes
Nutrition notes: This recipe makes 1 ~135g serving (dry weight), clocking in at 143 cal/oz. With 1 tablespoon olive oil, the meal will weigh ~149g and clock in at 152 cal/oz. Each serving provides approximately: