Linguini with sun-dried tomato pesto
9
Points®
Total time: 50 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 40 min • Serves: 6 • Difficulty: Easy
A homemade pesto is the anchor for this easy pasta entrée. Soaking the sun-dried tomatoes in water plumps them up and also helps them blend nicely with the other ingredients. We’ve called for linguini in this recipe, but you can pair this pesto with any pasta you like. You can also spread it on sandwiches or pizzas, thin it out with broth for salad dressing, or spoon it over chicken or shrimp. If using Parmesan cheese, we suggest Parmigiano-Reggiano for the best flavor. If you like, you can make a double batch of the pesto and freeze the extra for later. Place the pesto in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, remove all the excess air from the package, and freeze for up to six months.
Ingredients
Sun-dried tomatoes (without oil)
1 cup(s)
Olive oil
1 Tbsp
Grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup(s), or Pecorino Romano
Garlic
2 clove(s)
Fresh basil
1½ cup(s), fresh, tightly packed
Table salt
½ tsp
Red pepper flakes
¼ tsp, optional
Uncooked linguini
12 oz
Grated Parmesan cheese
1½ Tbsp, or Pecorino Romano (for sprinkling on pasta)
Instructions
1
Place tomatoes in a heat-proof bowl; cover with boiling water. Let sit until softened, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain tomatoes but reserve tomato liquid.
2
Place tomatoes, 1 cup of tomato liquid, oil, 1/2 cup of cheese, garlic, basil, salt, and red pepper flakes in a food processor; process until smooth. Add more tomato liquid, if desired, and adjust seasonings.
3
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water; drain pasta.
4
In a serving bowl, toss pasta with pesto and about 3/4 to 1 cup reserved cooking water, depending on desired consistency; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Yields about 1 cup pasta, 1/3 cup sauce, and 3/4 teaspoon cheese per serving.
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