Rigatoni with Green Olive-Almond Pesto and Asiago Cheese

By KLAlbano

The procedure may be the same as for regular basil pesto, but the intensely flavored olive paste in this dish is closer to a tapenade. The briny, oily olives produce a smooth "pesto," which turns into a simple sauce with the addition of a little pasta cooking liquid. (The starch in the cooking liquid also helps the sauce stick to the noodles.)

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked rigatoni
• 1 1/4 cups (6 ounces) pitted manzanilla (or green) olives
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from cookinglight.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta, reserving 6 tablespoons cooking liquid.

Place olives, sliced almonds, flat-leaf parsley leaves, black pepper, and garlic in a food processor; pulse 3 times or until coarsely chopped. With processor on, add 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon vinegar through the food chute, processing until mixture is finely chopped.

Combine pasta, 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, and olive mixture in a large bowl; toss well. Add enough of remaining 2 tablespoons cooking liquid to make pasta mixture moist, tossing well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.