Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella Pearls
Ingredients
- 1 lb. rotini pasta
- 8½ oz. jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, reserving 3 pieces to cut into strips for finishing pasta
- 1½ cups fresh basil leaves, reserving several leaves for garnishing
- ½ cup BelGioioso Grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnishing
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup olive oil (use any remaining oil from sun-dried tomato jar and add additional olive to make ½ cup)
- Salt and pepper
- 8 oz. BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella Pearls cheese
Directions
Cook pasta in boiling salted water per package directions until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, make pesto. Combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, about ½ tsp salt & a few grinds of fresh pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Blend until a thick paste forms.
When pasta is finished, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and set aside. In a large serving bowl, add about 4 oz. sun-dried tomato pesto. Pour in ½ cup of the pasta water and stir until creamy. If pesto is too thick add the remaining pasta water. Add the pasta and toss to coat noodles with the pesto sauce.
When pasta has cooled a bit, add Fresh Mozzarella Pearls and strips of the reserved sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to mix in.
Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and slivered basil leaves.
For Variations:
Add cooked chicken for added protein.
Mix ½ cup heavy cream to the pesto mixture with the pasta water for a creamier sauce.
For a spicy version, add 1 Tbsp. chili oil and ½ tsp red pepper flakes to the pesto before blending.
Store remaining pesto in an air-tight container in fridge or freezer for later use.