July 12, 2022

Farfalle with Pesto and Tomatoes

Farfalle with Pesto and Tomatoes is one of our favorite summer dinners. I start this dish by making a basil and pine nut pesto. Next, I toss the pesto with farfalle pasta, arugula, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. Finally, I garnish the dish with fresh basil leaves and some minced red onion. We like this dish for several reasons. First of all, I really like that this is a meatless meal. While we enjoy eating meat, we also like having a few meatless dinners every week. Secondly, I like that I can make this entire meal in less than thirty minutes. And, lastly, we all love the fresh summer flavors in this dish.

The Equipment I Used

A Large Pot- I like to use a big pot to cook my pasta.
A Big Bowl- Use a big bowl to toss the pasta.
A Food Processor- You’ll need this to make the pesto.

The Ingredients Needed for Farfalle with Pesto and Tomatoes

Farfalle – I used farfalle pasta because I like the way the pesto clings to the wavy farfalle pasta. And I used my favorite Barilla brand farfalle.
Kosher Salt- I use Diamond kosher salt to salt my cooking water.
Pine Nuts- Store these in the freezer so that they keep well.
Arugula- Use baby arugula.
Olive Oil- Use a good quality, mild extra virgin olive oil.
Kalamata Olives- Be sure to remove all the pits.
Garlic- I like to buy the peeled cloves and store them in my freezer.
Pasta Water- Be sure to save some of the pasta water to thin out the pesto.

How I Made my Farfalle with Pesto

First, I made the pesto.
Next, I boiled the farfalle.
Finally, I added in the feta, tomatoes, and olives.

If you like pesto, you need to try this fresh and delicious Farfalle with Pesto and Tomatoes.

Farfalle with Pesto and Tomatoes

Farfalle pasta tossed with a basil pesto and tomatoes.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

6 quarts water
12 ounces fusilli pasta
3 tbsp. Diamond kosher salt
12 ounces farfalle pasta
2 cups baby arugula
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup pitted and halved kalamata olives

For the Pesto:

¼ cup pine nuts
2 cups basil leaves
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. crushed garlic
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. pasta water
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. sea salt flakes

For the Garnishes:

¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup each minced red onion and basil leaves

Instructions

Begin by cooking the farfalle: Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the kosher salt and the farfalle.
While the farfalle cooks, make the Basil Pesto: Heat a small skillet on low heat, and cook the pine nuts (both for the pesto and the garnishes) until toasted about five minutes.
Put a half of the pine nuts in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the pasta water, and process until everything is minced and combined. Add the pasta water, and process until a creamy sauce is formed.
Drain the farfalle and pour it into a large bowl. Add the pesto and stir until combined. Also add in the tomatoes, arugula, feta, olives, and the rest of the pine nuts. Garnish the dish with the red onion and basil leaves.