Pasta in Italy

What would a trip to Italy be without eating some pasta? The Italians love their pasta and with good reason. There are countless ways to prepare pasta dishes it just depends what your taste buds are seeking. 

Basil season has arrived to many parts of the world and I recommend making a pesto sauce to combine with your linguine or spaghetti. Here it is:

                                    
                                PESTO AND PASTA

1 cup loosely packed parsley
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 cups toasted walnut halves (optional)
5 garlic cloves, peeled 
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil



To make the pesto; place the parsley, basil leaves, garlic cloves, and sea salt into a blender or food processor and pulse several times. Pour the olive oil into the blender or food processor and combine with the other ingredients. You can add 2 cups of walnut halves (toasted) to the mix for extra flavor. 

Boil one pound of linguine or spaghetti in a large pot.  Once the linguine or spaghetti is cooked drain it and then toss it with about 1 cup of the pesto sauce.

Place the basil & parsley pasta on plates and sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan on top.

The leftover pesto sauce can be used for later. It's best to place the leftover pesto in a glass jar. Add a bit of olive oil to keep it moist. The pesto can be refrigerated for one week after being made.

 Buon Appetito!