Basil Pesto Bow Tie Pasta

Submitted by Leta8076

"My daughter-in-law's famous pasta dish. Highly requested at all family gatherings."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• olive oil
• minced garlic
• pine nuts
• bow tie pasta
• basil pesto (abt 1 Tbls)
• tomatoes, seeded and cut small
• fresh grated parmesan cheese
• feta cheese

directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Don't forget to salt the water.
3. Drain well.
4. While pasta is cooking, place olive oil and garlic in a small fry pan.
5. Bring to moderate heat, stirring garlic frequently to prevent browning.
6. Add pinenuts and saute stirring frequently until nuts are firm but tender.
7. Toss cooked pasta with pinenut/garlic mixture.
8. Gently stir in basil pesto until pasta is lightly coated.
9. Add tomatoes, grated parmesan and feta cheese.
10. Toss lightly and serve warm or at room temperature.
11. There are no measurements for these ingredients because it is all a matter of individual taste.

Reviews

[carole in orlando]

This was delightful! It was a meal all by itself,I served it with homemade pesto bread and it was great. Had some left over and when I went to serve it it was alittle dry (the next day) and so I sprinkled alittle Good Seasons Italian dressing over it and mixed it together, and it was like a different salad, also great. Two for the price of one, can' beat that. Carole in Orlando

 

[Gingerbear]

Leta, This was wonderful! I was a little weary about it because I dont ever make pesto dishes although I like pesto and I have never even tasted pine nuts before but I made it just like the recipe called for and we loved it! The Feta cheese is really great in this recipe. I used jar pesto but the next time I am definitely making my own. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. This is a keeper.

 

[Carol Melancon]

I do a similar dish (without feta as my husband doesn't like it)using chopped basil leaves instead of pesto, chopped sundried tomatoes, and oven-roasted pine nuts. I also add some butter with the olive oil. If you have a basil plant or use pre-made pesto instead, it's easy to have the ingredients always available for an emergency side dish. Pine nuts and sundried tomatoes keep well in the fridge, etc. I find it easy to cut the basil and sundried tomatoes into small pieces with good kitchen shears. I soak the tomato pieces in hot water at least as long as pasta is boiling. If I think to soak the tomatoes early enough, it's nice to strain the "tomato water" into the pasta water to add flavor. Since I frequently burn the pinenuts while toasting them in the broiler, I'm going to try this "saute in the oil" method the next time I make it.

 

[Emerogork]

Why salt the water for pasta? Yea, I know "We have always done it" but why? Chances are other salty items will be added or it can be added when served where it will have a much more powerful effect. For me, unless salt adds to the structure such as in bread, I never salt food during preparation.

 

[cookin_nurse]

I used this recipe as a guide along with "Recipe #8650" I used shell pasta- which I found to be very good because yummy chunks of pesto would get stuck in them and you would get a nice delicous surprise! Along with the pesto I only put in the pine nuts & feta cheese. I would have put in the garlic but there was plenty in the pesto!