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Penne with Pesto, Tomatoes & Olives

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Rate this recipe 4.6/5 (9 Votes)

Ingredients

  • For Pesto:
  • 2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, toasted if desired
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
  • 1 ⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 6 to 7 tablespoons olive oil
  • For Pasta:
  • 12 ounces penne or other short pasta
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 ⁄3 cup kalamata olives, quartered
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup pearl or cherry-size fresh mozzarella
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Basil leaves for garnish

Details

Adapted from freep.com

Preparation

Step 1

To Make Pesto:
Process the basil, garlic, salt, walnuts and cheese until the leaves are coarsely chopped. With the machine running, add about 6 tablespoons olive oil (more as needed) until the mixture is smooth but still somewhat paste-like. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions in salted boiling water. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the rest. Leave the pasta in the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, olives and desired amount of pesto and heat through. If the mixture seems too dry, moisten with a little reserved pasta cooking water or more pesto.

To Serve:
Warm pasta bowls, add pasta, top with the fresh mozzarella pearls and garnish with basil leaves.

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