Spaghetti With Pesto and Cherry Tomato Salad
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 17
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
-
Basil Pesto
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1⁄4 cup olive oil
- 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
-
Cherry Tomato Salad
- 1 1⁄2 pints cherry tomatoes (about 3 1/2 cups) or 1 1/2 pints yellow cherry tomatoes, each cut in half (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1⁄3 cup fresh basil leaf, cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
-
Pasta
- salt
- 1 (16 ounce) package thin spaghetti
- basil, for garnish
directions
-
Prepare Basil Pesto:
- In food processor with knife blade attached, blend basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper until pureed.
- With processor running, gradually pour in olive oil until blended.
- Add Parmesan, pulsing to combine.
- Transfer pesto to small bowl.
- Place plastic wrap directly on pesto surface to prevent browning; set aside.
-
Prepare Cherry Tomato Salad:
- In medium bowl, mix tomatoes, onion, basil strips, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat large saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat.
- Add spaghetti and cook as label directs.
- When spaghetti has cooked to desired doneness, remove 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and reserve.
- Drain spaghetti and return to saucepot.
- Add pesto and reserved cooking water; toss well to distribute vegetables.
- To serve, spoon spaghetti mixture into 4 serving bowls; top with tomato salad.
- Garnish with basil sprigs.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
After graduating from college in spring of 2007, I am now working as a Traffic Engineer. Now that I have free time instead of homework, I've been trying all sorts of new recipes that are more involved.
I am always trying to get healthy food into my husband and 7-year old step-son. I am slowly wearing on them, both of them will finally eat vegetables with every dinner. Both of them like helping in the kitchen, especially on mini pizza nights!
We have a 4-year old male lab/golden retriever mix and when the two "boys" get going, look out!
I participated in my in-law's family Christmas party this year by bringing almond roca. It was a huge hit and everyone wants it again next get-together! I will definately bring it again, but I don't want to give the recipe out to them because it is so easy and I like them thinking I worked by butt off!!
A cooking tragedy I once had in high school: I was making some pesto for my mom and I to have with lunch. At the time, I didn't know the difference between a clove and a bulb of garlic and I ended up putting about half a bulb of garlic in the recipe then stopped because I though "two whole bulbs would be a lot"... the recipe read 2 cloves ... Needless to say, we had bad breath for days and I never forgot what a clove was!!
I haven't tried all of my posted recipes, but if I posted them I thought they sounded good and figured I should give someone else the chance to try them before I get to them.
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