Pasta Pesto Salad

April asked me to post a recipe for this. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the salad but I do have some of the pesto making process.

Basil Pesto

Wash 2 cups of packed basil.


In a food processor, grind up 1/3 cup of pignola nuts.


Add 3 medium sized garlic cloves and blend them with the pine nuts.


Now add the basil, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese and process until smooth and creamy. Add salt and fresh ground, black pepper to taste.

Viola!


The pesto actually thickens up when refrigerated and it is delicious.

Now, here is my recipe for Pasta Pesto Salad.

1 lb. cooked pasta of your choice - I use spiral noodles
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red, sweet pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup of pesto
1 cup of mayonnaise

Mix until well blended. You can use more or less pesto and mayonnaise, depending on what you like. Just make sure it's equal parts of both.

There you have it! I've also added boneless, cooked chicken breast when I've wanted it as a main lunch meal.

Enjoy!