Bucatini With Oven-dried Tomatoes And Arugula-almond Pesto

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Cut the yellow and red tomatoes in half. Gently squeeze each tomato half to drain the juice and seeds.

Lay tomatoes in a single layer on parchment lined baking sheets and allow to dry out in the oven for 2 hours. (You can skip the tomatoes for a quick weeknight meal or make them ahead. They will stay good covered in olive oil in an airtight container stored in the fridge for up to a month!)

Cook pasta according to directions.

Drain, saving some of the cooking water, but do not rinse the pasta.

Add almonds and cheese to a food process or blender. Process at very slow speed until combined.

Add arugula and garlic, then olive oil, salt and pepper. Process the mixture slowly the entire time to ensure that the blade doesnt heat up too much (which would cook the greens and cheese proteins, changing the flavor) and also that they mixture doesnt become overly smooth.

Add pasta and pesto to a large bowl and toss to coat well. Dont be afraid to add a ladle or two of cooking water, if necessary to create a creamy texture. You can also add oil and cheese to taste. Toss in oven dried tomatoes, if using and toss one more time.

Serve garnished with toasted sliced almonds.*Note: The most recent guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicates no proven benefit in delaying solids, even high allergen foods including nuts, beyond 4- to 6-months. This doesnt mean that your child wont necessarily have an allergic reaction, but it does at means that it is safe and responsible to consider introducing high allergen foods as early as 6 months, especially if your child has no personal or family history of food allergies. Speak to your pediatrician about whats best for your family.**Im giving away vouchers that are good in exchange for free tickets to the concert and VIP section (where Barilla will be catering fresh food made on the premises for concert goers). Once you receive your vouchers, youll have to stop by Casa Barilla on Sept 13th or by noon on the 14th to make the switch. Ill provide full details directly to the winners. Good luck!This post has been sponsored by the good folks at Barilla, with whom I have entered a paid partnership. They have hired me to help raise awareness of the special events happening in NYC as part of their Summer of Italy. Im attending events personally so that I can share my experiences with you and all opinions are strictly my own. Read more about One Hungry Mama and sponsorships here.