Penne with Pesto

Name: Penne with Pesto
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 4 servings Freshly ground black pepper; 1 large bunch fresh basil; 2 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning; 118 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil; 118 milliliters freshly grated Parmesan; 454 grams penne rigate or other ridged small tube pasta; 59 milliliters pine nuts

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Penne with Pesto a try. This recipe serves 4. One portion of this dish contains approximately 21g of protein, 38g of fat, and a total of 768 calories. Head to the store and pick up olive oil, basil, garlic, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the kosher salt you could follow this main course with the Low Fat Crumbs Cake (Kosher-Dairy) as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 25 minutes.

Instructions

Meanwhile, pluck the basil leaves from the stems (you should have about 2 cups leaves). Wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels. Smash and peel the garlic.

Ingredients you will need

Fresh Basil

Garlic

Water

Equipment you will use

Salad Spinner

Paper Towels

Bowl

Put the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth.

Ingredients you will need

Olive Oil

Pine Nuts

Garlic

Basil

Pesto

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the cheese. Season with the salt and some pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Cheese

Pepper

Pesto

Salt

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Pot

Add the penne and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Penne

Drain in a colander and save about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water.

Ingredients you will need

Pasta

Water

Equipment you will use

Colander

Add the pasta to the bowl. Use tongs and toss with enough of the cooking water so the pesto coats the pasta evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Pasta

Pesto

Water

Equipment you will use

Tongs

Bowl

Serve warm.

Upgrades

a. Make the pesto creamy by adding 1/4 cup ricotta cheese when processing the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. This is great with tortellini or ravioli.

Ingredients you will need

Ricotta Cheese

Tortellini

Pine Nuts

Ravioli

Garlic

Basil

Pesto

b. Top dressed pesto pasta with 1/2 pound diced large or halved small fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), 3 medium tomatoes cut in large chunks, and 1/2 cup pitted black olives, (we like kalamata for this), roughly chopped.

Ingredients you will need

Fresh Mozzarella

Black Olives

Bocconcini

Tomato

Pasta

Pesto

Add cooked 1 to 2 cups chicken or shrimp.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Chicken

Shrimp

1 cup parsley, 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves. Substitute walnuts for the pine nuts

Ingredients you will need

Fresh Rosemary