Pesto Pasta Salad

Being part Italian (thank you mama), I love pasta and anything with fresh basil.  Pesto sauce has got to be one of my all time favorite sauces and I find that you can add it to almost anything for a punch of fresh flavor.  If you're looking for a quick dinner or the perfect side dish for an outdoor party, give this a try.  I'll give you a rough outline, but taste as you go and add more or less of anything you want.

1 lb. whole wheat pasta, cooked
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella or 4 to 6 string cheese sticks sliced
1 cup or more of pesto sauce
3 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Combine everything in a large bowl and taste as you stir everything together.  I like to look at the proportions too and decide if it looks prettier with more tomatoes or cheese.  Again, add or subtract what you prefer - this is rough outline.  If your pasta is still hot, the cheese will melt.  That's great if that's what you want, but if you want the shredded or chunks of cheese to keep their shape, let the pasta cool first.

If you want a good recommendation for a store-bought pesto sauce, try the basil pesto from Costco.  I love this one because it's ingredients are processed free and in terms of color and taste, I have to say it rivals even my grandmas fresh pesto and that's saying something! 

Here is my grandma's recipe if you want to make some from scratch:

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup grated romano
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. pine nuts

Put all the ingredients in a blender or a food processer and combine until smooth.  Don't just limit this sauce to pasta.  Spread it on bread, pour over fish or chicken, use as a pizza sauce, spread on wraps or sandwiches, add to scrambled eggs, add it to soup, use as a salad dressing, top cooked veggies, use as a dip, mix it with mayonnaise, the possibilities are endless!  You can also freeze it and always have it on hand.  This makes for a quick dinner in a pinch that tastes great.