PESTO CAPRESE PENNE PASTA

Ingredients:
Caprese Pasta
• 500 gms penne pasta
• 150 gms cherry tomatoes
• 100 gms mozzarella perline
• 200 gms basil pesto
• 25 gms fresh basil leaves thinly sliced, for tossing with the pasta
Basil Pesto
• 150 gms fresh basil leaves
• 150 gms fresh parsley (or spinach, or kale)
• 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 75 gms freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 100 gms pine nuts
• 1 no lemon
• 25 gms cloves of garlic
• 15 gms crushed red pepper flakes
• To taste salt

Chef of the day: (Divya  BCT&CA  3rd sem  )

METHOD:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the pasta and cook to al dente, approximately 11 minutes. When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. Toast the pine nuts over medium low heat until just starting to turn a golden brown.
  3. In a food processor, combine all of the pesto ingredients together. Process until it reaches the desired consistency. Season to taste with additional salt, lemon, garlic, or red pepper flakes.
  4. Slice the tomatoes in half into bite sized pieces. Slice the fresh basil leaves from the pasta ingredient list into thin slices.
  5. 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.