Whole Wheat Pasta with Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

Because I have been growing cherry tomatoes and basil in my garden this summer, I've been trying new recipes to use the abundance of them. Last night I made pesto for the first time. It was very simple to make. The recipe called for pine nuts, but I only had filberts hazel nuts on hand, so I toasted them in a pan on medium heat and when they were finished, I rolled them in a clean towel to remove the brown, flaky encasing. I cooked the whole wheat pasta according to package directions in boiling water for approximately 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, I sliced the cherry tomatoes in half and sautéed them in olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. To create this dish, I stirred together the tomatoes, pasta and pesto. It turned out so well. The pesto had such a vibrant, fresh flavor!  

Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves, packed

½ cup Olive Oil

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

3 T Pine Nuts (I substituted with hazel nuts)

3 Cloves Garlic

Salt to taste

Directions: 

Place all ingredients except olive oil into food processor or blender. While processing, drizzle olive oil into food processor or blender until well chopped and whipped. Serve over pasta. Pesto can be kept in refrigerator for approximately one week or freeze for a few months.

Servings: Makes about 1 cup of pesto sauce