Potluck Pesto Pasta
The name says it all. This will easily become one of your staple potluck dishes.
Ingredients
For the spinach walnut pesto:
- 2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- ½ cup walnuts toasted
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 2 packed cups fresh spinach leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- ½ a lemon squeezed
- ½-¾ cup olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the pasta:
- 1 lb farfalle (bow tie) pasta
- All of the pesto
- ¼ cup reserved salted pasta cooking water
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered, with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ lb green beans cut into 2” pieces
- 1 cup boccocini cut in half or fresh mozzarella diced
- ½ a lemon squeezed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place your quartered cherry tomatoes in a strainer or sieve, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, and toss lightly. Set aside to allow the moisture to drain from the tomatoes.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry pan, and coarsely chop them with a knife. Add them to a food processor, or a blender, along with 2 cloves of garlic, also coarsely chopped. Blitz them until they are like fine crumbs.
- Add in the basil and spinach, along with the salt, pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Blend again until finely chopped. Slowly stream in the olive oil with the blades running, or add it in increments between blending, until smooth. Add in the Parmesan cheese and blitz again.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of slightly salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta to al dente, but add in the green beans in the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Pull out a small cup full of starchy cooking water and reserve for later. Drain together.
- Toss the hot pasta immediately with the pesto, making sure to add a little of the reserved cooking water if needed to thin out the sauce. But don't add too much or it will dilute the flavor. Squeeze in the other half of the lemon for freshness, and then give it a taste. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. When the pasta is slightly cooled, add in the drained tomatoes and bocconcini. Serve at room temperature.
TIP: You can make the pesto a day head, and keep in the fridge. Just bring to room temperature and toss with the hot pasta on the day you want to serve it. You can serve this as is, or with a protein of your choice, such as sausage, shrimp, or chicken.