- 8
Ingredients
- 2 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
- table salt
- 1 lb. farfalle
- 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
- 1 cup packed baby spinach (about 1 ounce)
- 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 6 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
Preparation
Step 1
1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the garlic to the boiling water and let cook for 1 minute. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water and set aside to cool. Stir in 1 Tbsp. salt and the pasta into the boiling water, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is just past al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, toss with 1 Tbsp. of the oil; spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and cool to room temperature.
2. Peel and mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press. Process the garlic, basil, spinach, 1/4 cup of the nuts, lemon juice, pepper, remaining 1/4 cup of the oil and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the Parmesan cheese and mayonnaise and process until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve the salad.
3. Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding the reserved pasta water, 1 Tbsp. at a time until the pesto evenly covers the pasta. Fold in the remaining nuts and the tomatoes. Serve. with extra Parmesan.