It’s heirloom tomatoes, its extra virgin olive oil and its lots of basil. The fragrance invites you in even before you set eyes on it. Why not make a pesto? Try it. It’s the ultimate time saver. It’s easy to make and delicious to boot.
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Linguine in Tomato-Basil Pesto
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A simple yet flavorful sauce that highlights the fruitiness of olives, the sweetness of tomatoes and the fragrance of basil. It’s easy to make and freezes extremely well.
Ingredients
For the Pesto:
1 heirloom tomato
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
Salt to taste (1/4-1/2 tsp.)
For the pasta:
8 oz. linguine
1 tbsp. salt (for seasoning the water)
Water for boiling pasta
For the garnish:
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, especially for kids)
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp. salt to a big pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Or boil water in a kettle. Transfer the boiling water to a deep bottomed pan and season with 1 tbsp. salt. Toss in the tomato for 1 min.
- Take the tomato out and peel the skin off (it should come off easily).
- Toss the linguine into the boiling water and cook as per instructions.
- Roughly chop the tomato.
- Assemble all the ingredients under the section titled “For Making Pesto” in a food processor or blender: 1 roughly chopped heirloom tomato, 1 cup basil, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 roughly chopped garlic cloves, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.Â
- Blend to a smooth puree.
- Transfer the puree to a skillet or pan and cook on med. or med.-high for 12-15 mins. until most of the water dries up and it’s the consistency of a pesto. This will also thoroughly cook the tomato and concentrate the flavor of olives from the oil.
- As soon as the linguine is cooked, toss in the pesto. Add 1/4 cup pasta water and cook for 1-2 mins.
- Serve hot!
Notes
-  I love the distinct flavor that heirloom tomatoes bring to this dish but of course, regular tomatoes can be used as well. It’s still quite tasty.
- Boiling water in the kettle speeds things up as it takes max. 2-3 mins.
- I enjoy this dish without cheese but if you’re a cheese lover, garnish with 1/8 cup grated parmesan.
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 oz.
- Calories: 278
- Sugar: 0.5
- Sodium: 307
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 32.5
- Fiber: 0.4
- Protein: 6.9
- Cholesterol: 41
Keywords: pesto, tomato sauce, tomato pesto, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, basil, basil pesto, pasta, linguine, linguine with pesto, linguine in tomato sauce, linguine in basil pesto, vegetarian pasta, vegan pasta, italian, italian pasta, italian pesto
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