Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain pasta in colander. Rinse and transfer pasta to a large bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium- low heat, cook pine nuts until just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Let cool.

In a bowl of a food processor, combine pine nut-garlic mixture, basil, Parmesan, oil, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse five or six times until mostly smooth. Add reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse to reach desired texture.

*** to make it more simple, you can purchase a bottle of pesto and add skip the above steps***

Add pesto, cubed mozzerrella and cherry tomatoes to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve topped with addtional Parmesan.
#pasta #italian