Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (115g) sun-dried tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tbsp packing oil from sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup (30g) fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 2 cloves (6g) garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cup (35g) pine nuts or walnuts, lightly toasted
  • 1/3 cup (30g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp (1.5g) sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp (1g) cracked black pepper
  • 12 oz (340g) whole grain penne or chickpea pasta
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) salt for boiling water
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) reserved pasta cooking water

Instructions:

  1. Place the sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan into the food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
  2. While the processor is running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, lemon juice, and reserved packing oil. Season with salt and pepper, blending until a thick, vibrant paste forms.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, but stop 1 minute before the 'al dente' mark.
  4. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup (120ml) of the cloudy pasta cooking water.
  5. Return the drained pasta to the warm pot over low heat. Add the sun-dried tomato pesto and half of the reserved pasta water, tossing continuously until the sauce emulsifies and coats the pasta evenly.