Penne pasta with pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of fresh basil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 0.5 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.5 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt + more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 450 g penne rigate pasta or other medium-sized, grooved tubular pasta

Preparation:

1. Tear the basil leaves from the stems (you should have about 2 cups of leaves). Wash them in a large bowl of cold water and pat dry or pat dry with paper towels. Crush and peel the garlic.
2. Place the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and season generously with salt. Add the penne pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander and discard about 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the bowl with the pesto. Stir in enough of the cooking water to evenly coat the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
4. Pesto pasta variations:
   
   • Make the pesto creamy by adding 1/4 cup ricotta when you whisk the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. This sauce pairs well with tortellini or ravioli.
   
   • Sprinkle the pesto pasta with 200g of diced large or halved small balls of fresh mozzarella (bocconcini), add 3 medium tomatoes, cut into large chunks, and 0.5 cups of chopped pitted olives (Kalamata is ideal).
   
   • Add 1-2 cups of cooked shredded chicken or shrimp.
   
   Pesto variations:
   Instead of basil, try the following combinations: 1 cup parsley, 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves. Replace the pine nuts with walnuts.

5. Storage

   
   Pesto can be stored in the freezer. If you make it ahead of time and plan to freeze it, omit the cheese. Stir in the cheese just before serving. This will ensure your pesto is less chewy and more flavorful.