2012 (1)
03 Aug 2011
Fresh Pesto with Pasta
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½ pint grape tomatoes, halved 6 ounces fresh bite-sized mozzarella cheese (bocconcini) 1 teaspoon salt black pepper to taste ½ tablespoon olive oil ½ pound campanelle pasta Pesto: 3-4 garlic cloves ½ cup pine nuts ½ cup walnuts 3 cups loosely packed fresh basil 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated 6 tablespoons Asiago cheese, grated 1 cup olive oil Combine tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, salt pepper and olive oil; let stand for 30 minutes. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain. For pesto, mince garlic in a food processor. Add pine nuts, walnuts, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and process until well mixed. Add Parmesan and Asiago cheeses and process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly add 1 cup olive oil and process until smooth. Toss tomato mixture with pasta and ¾ cup basil pesto. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Pesto recipe makes 2¼ cups of sauce. Leftover pesto can be refrigerated up to one week or frozen up to three months. Yields: 6 servings. Recipe adapted from Colorado Classique POSTED AT 12:00 AM