Penne With Arugula And Walnut Pesto Recipes

Steps:

• Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.
• Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.
• Combine the arugula, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
• Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.
• Mix with freshly prepared pasta of your choice. You may need to add a little bit of water or more olive oil to mix the pesto more evenly with the pasta.
• Makes enough pesto sauce for an ample serving of pasta for four people.

Steps:

• To prepare the penne:
• In a large saucepan of salted boiling water blanch the sugar snap peas for 45 seconds, or until they are crisp-tender, transfer them with a skimmer to a large serving bowl, and toss them with 1/2 cup of the pesto. In the boiling water cook the pasta until it is al dente, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta-cooking water, and drain the pasta in a colander. In the bowl with the sugar snap peas toss the pasta with the reserved pasta-cooking water, 1/4 cup of the remaining pesto, or to taste, and salt and pepper to taste.
• To make the pesto:
• In a food processor combine the arugula, the walnuts, the Parmesan or Sardo, the salt, and the garlic and pulse the motor until the walnuts are chopped fine. With the motor running add the oil in a stream and blend the pesto with hot cooked pasta, potatoes, or vegetables. The pesto keeps, chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap, for 2 weeks. Makes about 2 cups.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat cook garlic in oil 5 minutes, then remove pan from stove top.
• Fill the food processor with arugula, loosely packed.
• Add walnuts and 1/2 of the warm oil and all 3 cloves of garlic to the arugula in the processor.
• Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to the processor bowl, set lid in place and pulse grind the mixture into a thick paste.
• Add any remaining arugula to the processor and grind into the paste by pulsing the processor again.
• Transfer arugula paste to a large pasta bowl.
• Stir in the remaining oil and the cheese.
• Taste pesto sauce and adjust seasonings.
• While cooking penne to package directions for al dente, watch the time.
• After about 6 minutes, add green beans to the pasta pot.
• The beans will cook along with pasta the last 2 or 3 minutes.
• Drain pasta and beans together in a colander then transfer hot pasta and beans to the pasta bowl with the pesto in the bottom.
• Toss pasta and beans with pesto for 2 to 3 minutes to combine and evenly coat the pasta and beans with the pesto sauce.
• Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!