Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
There is nothing more comforting in the summertime than fresh pesto and pasta salad. So when you put the two together and add savory sun dried tomatoes and crunchy almond slices into the mix, the result is undeniably delicious. This recipe really proves how a few simple ingredients is all you really need to make a dish that everyone will really love. I used Gemelli pasta for this recipe, because I thought it would be the perfect size for pasta salad, but you can really use any kind of pasta you want. I’ve added a tablespoon of cashews to the pesto to substitute the parmesan cheese taste that is usually added to pesto. This is also a really easy recipe to make ahead if needed, and store in the fridge for a few days.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 package of Gemelli pasta
- 1 jar of julienne-cut sundried tomatoes in olive oil
- 2 cups of basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons of almonds
- 1 tablespoon of cashews
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup of olive oil
- ¼ cup of sliced almonds (optional)
- Salt & pepper
STEPS
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook pasta according to the packaging instructions.
2. In the meantime, add basil, almonds, cashews, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are finely minced.
3. Add the olive oil slowly to the food processor until everything is well combined. Add salt to taste.
4. When the pasta is done cooking, drain using a colander. Add the pesto to the pasta and mix with a spoon until the pesto has fully coated the pasta.
5. Mix in your desired amount of sun dried tomatoes to the pesto pasta.
6. Transfer the pasta salad to a severing dish and top with sliced almonds.
7. Enjoy!
