CHEAP IS CHIC
2 de abril, 2009

PASTA, PESTO, AND PEAS SALAD
(from the book: Barefoot Contessa PARTIES)
Serves 12

** To keep the pesto from turning brown, add spinach and lemon juice. To make a delicious and easy one-dish summer lunch, use your imagination and add grilled chicken or fresh salmon.

3/4 pound fusilli pasta
3/4 pound bow-tie pasta
1/4 good olive oil
1 1/2 cups   homemade pesto
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups  good mayonnaise
1/2  grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2  cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3  cup pignolis, toasted (optional)
3/4  teaspoon kosher salt
3/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes, until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In a bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, purée the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and continue to purée.

Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta, then add the Parmesan cheese, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

** To toast pignolis, place them in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until evenly browned, tossing frequently.

PESTO  (makes 4 cups)

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 pignolis
3 tablespoons diced garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely puréed. Add the Parmesan and purée for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

ADRIANA’s tip: if you double the recipe (which I did for CHEAP is CHIC), maintain the original amount of pesto (5 cups basil leaves, etc.), and use 1 ½ boxes of the chopped spinach.