Pesto Pasta

Vegetables Recipes | Pasta Recipes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Pesto sauce is easy to make, sophisticated, and delicious -- great over pasta for a last-minute dinner party. Pesto can replace the sauce on a pizza, be baked into breads, or be incorporated in salad dressings. Extra pesto is easily frozen. In fact, during the basil season, you may want to buy bunches of basil at your local farmers market if you don't grow your own, multiply this recipe by as much basil as you have, and freeze the pesto in 1-cup containers (recycled yogurt containers work just fine).

• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 to 4 tablespoons nuts (pine nuts or walnuts)
• pepper to taste
• 16 ounces dried pasta

Chop the basil in a blender or food processor. Add the oil and garlic and blend. Add the cheese and nuts. Blend. Add pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Just before draining, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the pesto to thin the sauce and warm it. Drain the pasta. Top with the pesto. Serve.

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