Yields: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 box of your favorite pasta (I used Barilla Cellentani)
- 8 oz. sun dried tomatoes
- 16 oz bocconcini, cut in half (or full mozzarella ball cut in pieces)
- 1/2 cup of pesto (see recipe)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Few basil leaves, roughly chopped
Preparation:
Bring water to boil for pasta. Once water is boiling, add salt (enough so if you’d taste the water it’d taste like the sea), and add the pasta. Cook according to directions, about 8-10 minutes for al dente. Drain, leaving aside 2 tablespoons pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, chop up the sun dried tomatoes. Once the pasta is done, toss the hot pasta with the cooking water and half of the pesto until combined. Wait until cool, and add the second half of pesto, sun dried tomatoes, bocconcini, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Right before you serve, toss in the torn basil leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a little more cheese if you want!
Pesto
Yields: 1/2 Cup
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of Basil
- 1/2 Clove of Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup of Parm or Pecorino
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
On medium heat, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until they become slightly darker in color and fragrant (should only take a few minutes). Turn off heat and set aside. Using a mortal and pestle (or food processor) mash the garlic and salt until it becomes a paste. Add the pine nuts, mashing all together until a sticky smooth brown paste forms.
Add basil leaves, handfuls at a time, pounding against the sides of the mortar until all leaves are crushed into fine bits. Add the cheese, mixing all together, and then slowly drizzle in olive oil until a luscious creamy pesto forms. (you can always add more olive oil depending on the consistency of pesto you like). Add more salt and pepper to taste.
