Penne with pesto 40

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Penne with Pesto

penne with pesto

Today’s recipe is all about fresh, delicious, comfort food. We all need an easy, healthy, delicious dinner that we can whip up in no time. This penne with pesto can be ready in less than 30 minutes. Homemade pesto might sound intimidating, but it is easy really easy to make. Simply add all your ingredients to a food processor or blender and toss it with some fresh pasta. It smells fantastic and my kids inhale it in minutes.

flavor your life extra virgin olive oil from Italy

Flavor Your Life Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The key to a delicious homemade pesto is using high-quality olive oil. Flavor your life 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil tastes very unique. This olive oil is made in Italy, in special olive groves. You can definitely taste the difference between this olive oil and other olive oils. You will be surprised at how much better your food tastes when you switch to a high-quality olive oil like Flavor Your Life.

  • The Flavor of Life 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is cold-pressed after harvesting, so the original properties are preserved.
  • 100% Italian Flavor For Life Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very good for a balanced diet because it is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, which are essential for boosting your immune system.
  • This 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is high in monounsaturated fats and contains vitamins and provitamins that include the beneficial fatty acid minerals.
  • This 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains no additives or preservatives. No chemicals are used to extract the juice from the olives.

penne with pesto ingredients

Penne with Pesto is a healthy and quick meal

When I don’t know what to make for dinner I quickly make this penne with pesto dish. While the pasta is cooking, I can toss all the pesto ingredients into my food processor. It really takes no time at all, and the pesto is ready when the pasta is done. If you do not have a food processor you can use a blender instead. This food processor is under $50 and the blender is under $40. Both appliances are versatile in the kitchen.

one pound of freshly cooked penne pasta

Cooking a pound of pasta is the hardest part of this dish. Mmmmm fresh penne pasta, ready for a green pesto covering. I am in love with my new pasta pot, it makes draining the pasta so much easier!

save 1/2 cup of pasta water

Before you drain your pasta, be sure to save 1/2 cup of your pasta water to add to your pesto sauce.

fresh pesto ingredients

Look at these beautiful fresh pesto ingredients ready to get whipped up in the food processor. Then you can drizzle in the magic ingredient, the Flavor Your Life 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

pesto waiting for olive oil bath

Pesto ingredients are all chopped up and waiting for a bath of olive oil.

fresh pesto, smells amazing!

I wish you could smell this pesto, it is so fragrant and tastes fantastic!

Interesting facts about Olive Oil:

  • The recipe to make olive oil from olives is thousands of years old. It was one of the first recipes ever recorded.
  • Olive oil was not only used in foods years ago. It was commonly used in medicine, skin care products, and soaps.
  • The olive oil trade was so profitable that cities grew around olive groves and civilizations grew around the various trade routes.
  • Olive trees were included in a family’s greatest treasures and they would be passed down from generation to generation.
  • If you inherited an olive tree you were given the earnings from the tree as well as the responsibility for taking care of it.
  • Extra virgin olive oil is high in oleocanthal, which is a natural compound that has the same anti-inflammatory properties as ibuprofen.
  • The best temperature to store your olive oil at is 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep it away from direct sunlight and in a sealed container. A dry, cool, dark cupboard is best.
  • You should use delicate olive oils in salad dressings. Use more robust oils with heartier foods that can stand up to more intense flavors, like steaks and spicy soups.
  • Olive oil has a high smoke point (400°F) so extra virgin olive oil is excellent for cooking.

pesto sauce being mixed with hot fresh pasta

Add your fresh pesto to the hot penne pasta.

penne with pesto

Add in your parmesan and some pasta water and your dinner is ready! I hope your family enjoys this fresh penne with pesto as much as mine does.

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Penne with pesto

Penne with pesto

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of penne
  • 2 cups of fresh basil
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to the package instructions.
  2. In a food processor, combine basil leaves, peeled garlic cloves, and pine nuts.
  3. Add the olive oil in slowly, through the chute, while the food processor is running.
  4. Process until pesto is smooth.
  5. Put pesto in a large bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese.
  6. Before you drain the past, reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water.
  7. Drain the pasta and add to the pesto.
  8. Stir and slowly add in some of the past water, as needed, until all the pasta is evenly coated with the pesto.
  9. Serve warm.
  10. Note: You can use any shape of pasta with this recipe. I like penne because the pesto sticks to the pieces very easily.
https://cookwith5kids.com/2022/01/penne-with-pesto/

penne with pesto

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