Pasta Salad With Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

From our local newspaper. This salad uses any "novelty" pasta now available on the market, including but not limited to: conchiglie, farfalle, fusilli (a personal fav), orzo, penne, orcchiette, rotelle, etc. Recommended additions to the salad may include: imported olives, grilled boneless sliced chicken breast, pickled Greek pepperocini, Walla Walla onion slices, garden fresh tomato slices, marinated artichoke hearts! Lots of fresh ingredients! Summer is here and the harvest is bursting! Hop to it!

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• Sun-Dried Pesto

• 1  cup  packed fresh basil leaf
• 2  garlic cloves, peeled
• 2  tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (curly or flat leaf)
• 2  tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (don't use pre-grated cheese!)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8  sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
• 2 -3  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar (I used white balsamic) or 2 -3  tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used white balsamic)

• Salad

• 4  cups cooked pasta, drained chilled (of your choice)

Directions

1. Pesto: Lightly toast the pine nuts and set aside.
2. In a food processor or blender add the basil, garlic, and parsley. Process until finely chopped.
3. Add the pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and salt; process using the PULSE setting until just blended.
4. With the appliance running, gradually add the olive oil through the feed tube, processing until a smooth paste is formed.
5. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and vinegar of choice, processing until the tomatoes are finely chopped but flecks are still visible.
6. Yield: 1 1/2 cups pesto.
7. Pasta Salad: Transfer the cooked, chilled pasta to a pretty salad bowl and stir in the pesto sauce, making sure the pasta is generously coated. (You may or may not use up all the pesto sauce.).
8. Cover salad bowl and chill the salad up to 6 hours.
9. Yield is estimated.