Pesto Pasta Salad
The next stop for our pasta journey through the alphabet takes us to the letter P, and I can positively tell you there are plenty of pickings to pick.
Peas, potatoes, peaches, provolone cheese, perch, pecans, parsley, the list goes on, but I think a refreshing pesto pasta salad will perk you up, provide palate pleasing tastes, and provoke pleasant thoughts. Plus, how could I possibly do this pasta series without doing pesto?
I do feel like pasta salad is one of those dishes that gets a bit of a reputation for being boring or bland, which is a shame because there’s only a few things you need to do to make a flavorful pasta salad. The key is to make your dressing punchy and flavorful, but also you want to dress your pasta while it’s still warm as the pasta absorbs the flavor of the dressing perfectly.
Serves 4
1 pound penne or any small pasta
Salt
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 large bunch of fresh basil, leaves removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
Freshly ground black pepper
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, for topping*
*To shave parmesan, simply pick up the wedge of cheese and run a vegetable peeler down it to create thin shavings
Boil the penne in a pot of salted boiling water for about 8-10 minutes, or until al dente.
(Of course you could make your pesto in a food processor, especially if you’re planning on making a larger batch, but I love the rustic charm of using a mortar and pestle)
While the pasta cooks, bash up the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Add the pine nuts, then continue bashing until the nuts are finely ground. Add the basil, and bash until it breaks down.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, stirring frequently, until you get a thickened vinaigrette consistency. Finally, beat in the parmesan and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain then run it under cold water to stop the cooking process. While the pasta is still warm, toss with the pesto to coat, then mix in the tomatoes and cheese. Season everything with salt and pepper, then chill for at least an hour, but overnight would be better.
Top with shaved parmesan right before serving
