Pesto Pasta

I'm settling into my new home in Utah, which means I've been busy unpacking and organizing my kitchen so that good food can be prepared, eaten and blogged about! So far I'm loving the change in scenery. The weather here is gorgeous - blue skies, sunny days, bright green foliage, and snow capped mountains are the views from my windows. It's been hectic trying to reorganize my life, so cooking fast and easy recipes is a must, and light and refreshing meals are a plus to help wind down after the long hot days! Here's a classic dish that hits all the marks - pesto pasta!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 3/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Pulse the basil, pine nuts, olive oil in a food processor 10-15 times until well chopped. Add the cheese and pulse 3 more times to incorporate. Season the pesto with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a large pot of water with 2 tablespoons of salt to a roaring boil. Add the pasta to the water and cook, removing 1-2 minutes prior to the box directions to ensure an al dente noodle. Drain the pasta, but reserve one cup of pasta water. Place the pasta in a large serving bowl and gently mix in the pesto and two tablespoons (or more, if needed) of pasta water. Adding the reserved pasta water at the end helps to create an effective sauce - it increases flavor while thinning the pesto; it allows the pesto sauce to be absorbed into the slightly al dente pasta; and the starchy pasta water helps the sauce coat the pasta.  Garnish with pine nuts and serve. Buon appetito!