Basil Pesto

Ingredients

1 bunch basil leaves
Handful of pine nuts
1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of half lemon
2 cloves garlic
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

serving:
This recipe makes  1 cup basil pesto.

Recipe

Separate the Basil leaves from the stems.

Process the leaves in a blender along with Pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil.
Once the desired consistency is achieved, add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Can be stored in the refrigerator in a tight lid glass jar for future use.

This can be used in pasta,sandwiches, vinaigrette.

Basil Pesto Fusili

Ingredients

1/2 pound Fusili
Basil Pesto(recipe here)

Recipe

Cook Fusili in a large pot of boiling water until it is al dente.
Strain and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top.Keep aside.
Add 2-3 Tbsp or required amount of pesto into the cooked pasta bowl. Mix well. Serve hot.

Penne with Tomatoes and herbs

Ingredients

For Sauce:

2 big tomatoes
2 Tbsp Tomato paste
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped Parsley
1 Tbsp finely chopped Basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3-4 medium size cloves of Garlic
Water as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
oil

For Pasta:

1/2 pound Penne
Water to boil
Salt to season
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top
Shredded Parmesan Romano cheese

Recipe

Add some oil to coat the base of a frying pan and heat it up. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and Garlic. Once the onion turns translucent, add the tomatoes and cook till they become a little mushy.
Add the Tomato Paste and some water so that the sauce is not too thick. Add salt pepper and Italian seasoning. wait till the sauce comes to a boil. if the sauce is becoming thick, add some of the water used to boil the pasta. Once the sauce comes to a boil, take of from heat and keep aside.
Boil Pasta in another pot, following the directions on package.
Once boiled, strain the water from pasta.
Drizzle Extra virgin olive oil and Add the shredded parmesan romano Cheese
Top it with the prepared pasta sauce.
Add fresh basil and parsley.
Mix well.
Garnish with parmesan and romano cheese and some basil and parsley.
Serve hot.

Italian Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (carrots,peas,lima beans,corn etc)
1 medium Zucchini cut into bite size pieces
1 medium tomato cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion chopped
2 Handfuls of Farfalle pasta(any pasta would do)
1/2 gallon water
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to drizzle on top
Parmesan/Romano cheese or mix of both for garnishing.
Chopped Parsley for garnishing.

Recipe

Add all vegetables,pasta,tomato paste in the water.
Cover and Cook on medium high till all vegetables are boiled thoroughly and the water reduces to a soupy consistency.
Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Add Italian seasoning to taste
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top
Transfer to a bowl and garnish with desired amount of the Parmesan/Romano cheese and  chopped parsley.
Serve with fresh Garlic bread.