Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes ((or grape tomatoes) (halved))
  • 8 ounces mozzarella perline
  • 1 1/4 cup basil pesto ((recipe below, or your favorite pesto))
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (thinly sliced, for tossing with the pasta)
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup fresh parsley ((or spinach, or kale))
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instruction

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the pasta and cook as per package directions to al dente, approximately 11 minutes. When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.
  • While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. Toast the pine nuts over medium low heat until just starting to turn a golden brown.
  • In a food processor, combine all of the pesto ingredients together. Process until you reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with additional salt, lemon, garlic, or red pepper flakes.
  • Slice the tomatoes in half into bite sized pieces. Slice the 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves from the pasta ingredient list into thin slices.
  • Return the cooked pasta, pesto sauce, tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil to the large cooking pot (or in a large bowl). Toss to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce for even coating. Serve immediately.