Orzo Pestonade

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb orzo pasta
• 1/2 cup whole kalamata olive
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 -3 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• sea salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons fresh grated parmigiano
• parsley (to garnish)

Recipe

• 1 cook orzo al dente according package directions, 7-8 minutes then drain thoroughly. transfer orzo to a large pasta serving bowl, add some extra virgin olive oil to keep from sticking and set aside.
• 2 toast pine nuts in toaster oven or in dry pan on stovetop 3-5 minutes, watching carefully not to burn.
• 3 meanwhile, in a food processor, combine kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, garlic cloves, fresh basil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• 4 stream in olive oil while intermittently pulsing, being careful to keep a paste consistency, not a liquid consistency.
• 5 into a large pasta serving bowl, add finished pestonade mixture to cooked orzo. add fresh baby spinach leaves and combine well.
• 6 garnish with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and flat leaf parsley.