Garden Fresh: Pesto Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

As soon as the weather started warming in April, I fled from the kitchen and into the garden.  During the weeks leading up to Mother's Day, we raked and hoed, shoveled and shredded, weeded and watered, furiously in anticipation of planting day.  We expanded our garden from last year - a small, overcrowded 3x3 raised bed - to three 4x6 wooden raised beds that my husband painstakingly built.

After all was said and done, the lumber, 2.5 cubic yards of compost, plants and seeds probably equaled (if not exceeded) the cost of just buying our vegetables from the store.  But SO WHAT if that tomato is going to cost me $50 - it sure is going to taste awesome! One month later, our garden is making remarkable progress.  For now, all we can harvest are herbs.  But, the tomatoes are flowering, and where there are flowers, soon there will be fruit!

Here, you can see one of our three raised beds - there are four types of tomato plants and basil planted as companions.  I always found it interesting that two plants that thrive so well when planted together also happen to taste delicious when eaten together.  Funny, how smart nature is....

So, our two weeks of Spring in New Jersey are over and we are in full on summer mode.  After our fourth day of 90+ degree weather, we cranked up the AC and contemplated eating popsicles for dinner.  No one wants to cook or even look at an oven when it is that hot.  For days like that, I look for light recipes that require minimum cooking and can be served room temperature.  This pasta salad recipe is perfect because the pesto can easily be made in advance and the only "cooking" required is boiling water.  Enjoy!


Pesto Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

1 lb pasta - I like De Cecco's Spinach Fusili
1- 1 1/2 cups pesto, recipe below
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, diced
1/2 lb tomatoes, diced.  Alternatively, you can halve cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 lb green beans, washed and cut into 1-inch long bites (optional)
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

In a large pot with a steamer basket, boil as much water as you can without the water touching the basket.  Add the green beans and steam until just tender, but still a bit crunchy.  Immediately remove the steam basket from the pot and run cold water over the beans to stop them from cooking.  Set aside.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as per the directions on the package.  Drain and return to the now empty pot.  Add the pesto and toss the pasta to evenly coat.  Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, and green beans and gently toss.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle each bowl with fresh parmigiano cheese and serve. 


Lemon Basil Pesto

This is a light, lemony variation on a classic pesto that uses both basil and parsley.  While its great on pasta, there are just about a million different ways you could use this stuff - drizzle it on pizza, spoon it over grilled fish or chicken, slather it over some bread, it is all delicious!  To toast the pine nuts, you can either bake them in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or lightly toast them in a skillet over medium low heat until golden brown.  Watch them carefully, they burn quickly and easily if left unattended!

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
3 tbs toasted pine nuts
1 1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbs lemon juice
1 - 1 1/2 cups olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, basil, parsley, cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Pulse until it becomes a thick paste.  Then, with the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and dig in!!