Best Bites

I feel like a talk about food a lot. That's just because its so goooood. Man, I love food. One day I made this winner of a recipe from the cookbook "Our Best Bites" that my mom gave me for Christmas a couple years ago. I have to say, I'm a fan of this book- the recipes are all so good, and so easy. I like delicious and easy. Anyway, this recipe was so good (and so easy) so I thought I'd share!

(for a variation of the recipe go to http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/creamy-pesto-pasta/ This version adds a homemade alfredo to the pasta- the version I made didn't have the alfredo. As a side note, the homemade alfredo is also delicious. See I'm telling you it's all delicious!)

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces farfalle or bowtie pasta (a little more than 3 cups)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup pesto (recipe here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/fresh-basil-pesto/ I didn't have pine nuts so I didn't use them, I also didn't measure very accurately and it was still good :)
1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese



I didn't have pine nuts so I didn't use them (mostly I'm too cheap to go buy them, groceries are ridiculously expensive here), but have at it if you have them. Here's my tip- I don't care for mushrooms, but I'm determined to learn to like them so I've been trying to use them in my recipes. I've made this pasta twice- the first time with the mushrooms, the second without (because I didn't have any in the fridge) and it was BY FAR better with the mushrooms. Their flavor is apparently essential to make it extra delicious- so use them even if you don't like them usually :)

So here are the instructions (from the book, with my additions just for you):

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2.Roast tomatoes and mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss with your fingers to make sure everything is coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then cook for 12-15 min until the tomatoes are plump and skins are just starting to split. (If you're oven is like mine (aka not fantastic)- probably best to put the olive oil in a bowl, roll the veggies in them then place them on the pan- otherwise all the extra oil on the pan creates A LOT of smoke. I thought I was going to set the fire alarm off).

3. When the water comes to a boil, add 2 teaspoons kosher salt and pasta to the water and cook according to package directions.

4. While the pasta is cooking place the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until nuts are golden brown and slightly glossy. About 7-9 minutes. (obviously I haven't tried this step yet, but one day I will!)

5. Toss the hot drained pasta with pesto and Parmesan cheese (definitely get the fresh wedge and shred it- don't use the prepackaged stuff). Top with tomatoes and mushrooms and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and additional Parmesan cheese (yes to the additional cheese).

When you're done you have this delicious pesto and melted Parmesan cheese coated pasta with roasted tomatoes and mushrooms that are surprisingly yummy. One of my new favorite recipes :)