Basil Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

Basil Pesto sauce

Basil, fresh- 1 cup tightly packed
Pine nuts/ walnuts- 1/4 cup
Grapeseed oil- 1/4 cup
Lemon juice- 1/2 tablespoon
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Basil Pesto Pasta

Pasta, uncooked- 1 cup
Sun Dried tomatoes- 2 tablespoon, finely chopped
frozen green peas- 1/2 cup
salt to taste
grated Parmesan cheese- 1/4 cup
grapeseed oil- 1 tablespoon
Milk- 1/8 cup (optional)
Pine nuts, to garnish- 1/8 cup (optional)

Method:

Basil Pesto sauce:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend it to a smooth paste.

• If  you are using walnuts, either chop them before blending or pulse the walnuts first and then bleand it with the remaining ingredients.

Basil Pesto Pasta:

• Boil water in a pot and cook the pasta a la dente with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt.

• Drain the pasta and retain 1 cup of the pasta stock.

• Heat a pan. Add the pesto sauce and pasta stock to make the sauce creamy.

• Add the cooked pasta, frozen peas, sun dried tomatoes and milk(optional).

• Cook for 5-10 minutes on a medium flame.

• Turn off the heat and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and pinenuts.