Classic basil pesto pasta salad tossed with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
This summer, I’ve been attempting to grow basil, thyme, mint and parsley on the balcony attached to my apartment. Despite my initial enthusiasm for urban gardening, it turns out that my tiny piece of green Chicago is the place where plants go to die.
Despite my lack of skill in the gardening arena, I’ve been loving any and every recipe that incorporates fresh herbs this year, even if I have had to buy them from the farmer’s market after my homegrown goods died on the vine.
My basil plant led a short, but meaningful life, in which I was able to harvest enough to garnish a few strawberry lemonade cocktails and a couple batches of pesto. When I have pesto, I inevitably need to marry it with a bowl of pasta and preferably, a whole bunch of cheese. Which is exactly what I did here.
- 16 ounces uncooked bow tie pasta
- ¼ cup pesto sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 cup small fresh mozzarella balls (pearls)
- 2 leaves fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.
- Mix pesto, olive oil, salt, granulated garlic, and black pepper in a bowl; add rotini. Toss to coat. Fold in tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil.
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