Healthy Recipe #2 Pasta with Pesto and roasted Tomatoes

PESTO

Ingredients

4 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (a nice "finishing oil is best as it is a "star" in the pesto)

2--8 cloves of garlic chopped (I always chop it a little to begin with so it bends better) you will want to experiment with the amount of garlic--I like a lot--others not so much

6 sprigs of parsley

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup of pine nuts--pine nuts are traditional, but you may substitute almonds, walnuts or pecans, I like to chop slightly before I add as it gives a smooth texture more easily

1/2--1 cup of Parmesan or Romano cheese grated or a combo, again depending on taste

Squirt of lemon to keep the fresh green color

Chicken or veggie stock optional--use it if you want to decrease the amount of oil or make it a bit looser texture wise

Combine all ingredients except cheese in blender or food processor

Add cheese after you remove from the container and stir in

*Recipe may be halved, or it freezes very well without cheese. Add cheese when it thaws. This is a good use of basil when there is extra during the summer season. You might want to freeze in ice cube trays and then pop out when frozen and store in a zip lock bag.

ROASTED TOMATOES

Ingredients

24--30 Fresh Roma Ttomatoes

1/4--1/8 cup of good extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

*Note-No salt, although you will be tempted. Salt will draw out the liquid in the tomatoes and make them too soupy

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Quarter the tomatoes and remove seeds

Place on a sheet pan with a "lip"

Sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with olive oil

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, stir and bake another ten minutes

Putting it Together

Prepare 1 1/2 lbs of pasta  following pasta directions. Tubular pastas are very good. Penne is a favorite for this recipe. I suggest a whole wheat variety to boost up the fiber content as well as protien content.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of starchy cooking liquid

Combine Pasta with pesto, adding pesto a little at a time until pasta is covered liberally, you may or may not have some pesto left. Toss in 3/4 of the roasted tomatoes gently as to not "break them up"

Toss is 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes if you are a fan of them (I am)

Garish with additional cheese and tomatoes