Last night Leti came over for dinner, and we decided to make pasta with sun-dried tomato pesto from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentis. It was so delicious, and super-simple to make. Every bite was perfectly sweet, with freshness from the basil and salty flavor from the Parmesan. We all loved this dish, and I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again.

Notes: I used a little less than a cup of fresh basil (that’s all I had in the fridge), a 7-ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes, and only 1 clove of garlic, and it worked out fine for one pound of penne. I salted the water for the pasta, did not add salt to the pesto as the recipe suggests, and it tasted perfect. And finally, I added about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the finished dish to smooth out the sauce.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

• 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil with the basill and garlic just until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl, and stir in the cheese and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste. (This pesto will last for 1 week in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container).

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentis