Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

This was a scrumtious dinner. Very rich, and you will enjoy every bite! To start you are going to need all of these ingredients!

-pasta of your choice!

-2 or 3 whole tomatoes

-salt and pepper

-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

-2 cups of fresh basil

-1/3 of a cup of pine nuts or walnuts

-3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

-1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

-black olives

-mushrooms

-2 handfulls of baby spinach

-shrimp or chicken (bite size pieces)

-mozerella cheese, cubed ( totally not necessary, but tasty)

Lets get started! First things first I started with my tomatoes! Preheat the oven to 400F

Slice them, lay them out on tin foil on a medium to large pan and then brush with olive oil.

Next sprinkle sea salt and pepper on them.

Put them in the oven and let them bake for about 40 minutes until wrinkly and softened. Here are how mine turned out!

PESTO TIME! While your tomatoes are roasting you can make your pesto. It is best to use a food processor BUT we don't have one of those yet. A blender will do just fine. First take your pine nuts or walnuts and put them in the blender. Grind up until fine. Then add your 2 cups of fresh basil.

I AM IN LOVE WITH OUR NEW BLENDER !!
Okay next you add the parmesan cheese, the garlic and the 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil.

Lastly, salt and pepper to taste and VOILA! PESTO!!

PASSSSTTTAAA TIME.

Now it is time to get your favourite pasta noodle going. Get it cooking :)

In the mean time, on a frying pan sautee your mushrooms and spinach in a bit of olive oil. (a very little bit)

I used about 4 or 5 large mushrooms.

It is time to prepare your meat that you are going to use. We had leftover shrimp so that was easy. If using chicken you should cut it into bite size pieces and cook them on the stove top.

Also cut up your olives, and your cheese if using it.

Get a large, colourful bowl and start adding your ingredients. once the mushrooms and spinach are cooked (which does not take long at all) all them to the bowl. Your cooked and drained noodles, olives, cheese, shrimp or chicken then lastly your pesto. TIP: Pesto is rich, especially this recipe. You may not need to use all of the pesto...we only used about 3/4 of it.

Garnish with your roasted tomatoes and fresh basil. ENJOY every bite!

xo