Recipe: Pappardelle with pesto

Total time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4 as an appetizer or child’s portion

Note: The pasta should be rolled out to a thickness of about one-sixteenth of an inch. Keep the extra pesto in the refrigerator, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. Leftover pesto will keep up to two days. Serve the pasta with halved cherry tomatoes and a dollop of fresh ricotta, if desired.

1 1/2 cups raw pine nuts, divided

2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 large bunches basil (about 8 ounces), washed, dried and large stems removed

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 recipe basic pappardelle pasta, freshly rolled and cut

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a sauté pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool and reserve.

2. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic cloves and salt until very well combined. Working a little at a time (depending on how big your mortar is), add 1 cup of the pine nuts, basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano and mash the mixture until it’s a paste. Remove the mixture to a small bowl. (The basil mixture can also be made in a food processor.)

3. Gently stir the olive oil into the basil mixture to form a pesto. This makes about 1 1/4 cups pesto, more than is needed for this recipe.

4. Working in batches, place the pasta in the boiling water and cook just until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and lightly coat the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil so that the noodles do not stick together.

5. Divide the warm pasta among bowls or plates. Ladle about one-eighth cup of pesto over each serving and sprinkle with the reserved pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 250 calories; 5 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 20 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 43 mg. cholesterol; 157 mg. sodium.