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CASA MONICA PESTO

LA Times Basil Festival
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: dinner, pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Angel hair pasta, italian, linguine, Pesto, recipe
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Pesto Sauce

  • 2 cups packed basil
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Grate cheese in food processor
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese Grate cheese in food processor
  • 3 tablespoons softened butter

Pasta & Finishing Touches

  • 3-4 medium tomatoes peeled and seeded
  • 1 pound linguine
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Making the Pesto

  • Toast pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
  • Place garlic, pine nuts and salt in food processor bowl, pulse a couple of times. With processor running add olive oil. Once the garlic and nuts are minced, add basil. Process until the basil leaves are finely minced but do not overprocess as the leaves will darken.
  • Beat in cheeses by hand, then butter.
  • Mince tomatoes very fine with a sharp knife. Tomatoes should not be pureed or mashed.

Making the Pasta

  • Cook linguine in boiling salted water until tender but firm as directed.
  • Drain noodles, reserving some of the pasta water. Add a small amount of butter to pasta. For each serving, add some tomatoes to the linguine, then add pesto, mix quickly and serve at once.
  • Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce. Approximately 6-8 servings.

Notes

To store:  Place pesto in a small container and cover with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation.
To make Pesto Pasta Salad- add pesto to pasta to taste. Add toasted pinenuts, cherry tomatoes and poached chicken and /or corn kernels.