Foodie Friday: Pesto Penne

I've been thinking about making pesto ever since I had it at a friend's house a few weeks ago. I've also been wanting to try out a new kind of gluten-free pasta, so I thought this was a great opportunity to satisfy both cravings!

Pesto is incredibly easy to make, and I feel a little fancy when I make it. It was a big hit with my husband, and my kid loved to listen to the food processor doing its thing, so everyone wins!

You will need:
1 cup fresh basil leaves (packed)
1-3 cloves garlic (I used 3, but we love garlic.)
3 Tablespoons pine nuts
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil
⅛ teaspoon salt

• Put basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and cheese in a blender or food processor. Pulse until blended.
• Add the olive oil a little bit at a time, blending as you go until the mixture forms a thick puree.
• Pour over cooked hot pasta and serve right away! (If you let it sit around, it'll get sticky.)
• Optionally, top with a little extra Parmesan cheese.

I cooked a 12 ounce bag of rice/potato/soy flour penne rigate, and this was enough pesto for the whole lot (about 3-4 good sized servings). A tip for the pasta: add a little olive oil to the cooking water, and stir frequently while cooking to prevent it from sticking. I've found that gluten-free pasta tends to stick more readily than wheat does.

I'm starting to like the gluten-free pasta even more than I ever liked wheat pasta. I think if I go back to eating wheat, I'll stick to eating gluten-free pasta when I cook at home. Yum!

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Linked up at Vegetarian Foodie Fridays at Breastfeeding Moms Unite!, Friday Food at Momtrends, Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker, Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home, and Recipe Swap at Prairie Story.