Homemade Pasta with Basil Pesto

Ingredients
1.5 pounds of fresh pasta
Basil Pesto
Olive Oil
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente (about 2-3 minutes for fresh pasta).

Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Strain in colander. Combine pasta and basil pesto, mix well. Add reserved cooking liquid and/or extra olive oil if pasta seems dry.

Place pesto pasta in serving bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1.5 garlic cloves (or 2 small cloves)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
about 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pulse basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender until finely chopped. With blender still running, slowly add olive oil until emulsified. Tranfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in cheese. Season to taste with additional salt & pepper.

Makes enough pesto for 1.5 pounds of fresh pasta.

Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)

Simply, easy, and tastes great.

Ingredients
1 pound dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or your favorite pasta)
1 tbsp butter
8oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 broccoli crown, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.

Heat saute pan over medium heat. Melt butter. Saute mushrooms for 8-10 minutes or until water has evaporated.

Steam broccoli for 5 minutes or desired degree of doneness.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until garlic is lightly browned.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, and place in a bowl for tossing and serving. Add olive oil mixture, broccoli, mushrooms, and cheese. Toss to combine ingredients. Add the reserved cooking liquid if mixture seems dry. Serve immediately.