Green Pesto Pasta Tomatoes (Printer-Friendly)
A vibrant dish with basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and perfectly cooked pasta for a quick meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried pasta (penne or fusilli)
02 - Salt, for boiling water
→ Pesto
03 - 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
04 - 1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
05 - 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 garlic cloves
07 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
09 - Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
→ Add-ins
10 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
11 - 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
12 - 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts, for garnish (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - In a food processor, combine basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice if using. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Adjust seasoning to taste.
03 - Transfer hot drained pasta to a large bowl. Toss with pesto, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce that coats the pasta evenly.
04 - Gently fold in sliced sun-dried tomatoes until distributed throughout the dish.
05 - Plate immediately, topping with additional Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between the bright fresh basil and the concentrated sweet tang of sun-dried tomatoes creates layers of flavor in every single bite
- You can have a restaurant quality pasta dish on the table faster than delivery would take to arrive
02 -
- Pesto oxidizes and turns brown quickly, toss it with the pasta immediately after making it or press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface if you need to store it
- The pasta water is absolutely crucial here, it contains starch that helps the pesto cling to every piece of pasta instead of sliding off into a pool at the bottom of the bowl
03 -
- Wipe out your food processor immediately after making pesto, otherwise the oil will harden and become frustrating to clean later
- If you are making this for someone with a nut allergy, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds work surprisingly well as a pine nut substitute