Vibrant Mediterranean pasta with luscious sun-dried tomato pesto, pine nuts, and Parmesan in 30 minutes.
# Ingredient List:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti)
→ Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
02 - 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (reserve 2 tbsp oil)
03 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)
05 - 2 garlic cloves
06 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
07 - 2 tbsp reserved sun-dried tomato oil
08 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
10 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ To Serve
11 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, prepare the pesto: In a food processor, combine sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and basil. Pulse until finely chopped.
03 - Add the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If the pesto is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
04 - Toss the drained pasta with the sun-dried tomato pesto in a large bowl, adding more pasta water if needed to create a silky sauce.
05 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan.
