Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pesto

Serves 3,easily doubled for 6 people

This is such a QUICK dish to prepare, it takes about 15 minutes.

 Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Penne' pasta

4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

2 Large or 4 small cloves garlic

Pinch salt and Pepper

1/2 cup fresh sweet basil leaves, (about 12 leaves)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)

4-5 slices crisp bacon crumbled, Panchetta or( Real bacon pieces)

Basil sprigs (for garnish)

While 1/2  pound of Penne’ pasta is boiling (ale den ta') in salted water.(according to directions on pasta package.)

Blend in food processor until smooth

Sun-dried Tomatoes, cloves garlic, salt and pepper.

Add: basil leaves

Blend until smooth

Add: 1 tablespoon olive oil,

½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Pulse several times to combine.

Place tomatoes puree’ in a serving bowl, Ladle a spoonful of pasta water and rinse processor bowl out into serving bowl. With a large slotted spoon drain pasta, 1 spoonful at a time into serving boil.
If you completely drain the pasta in a colander it would become too dry.
Toss tomato and pasta together, may need 1 more ladle full of pasta water.
The water and pasta are very hot. Some of the water evaporates.The pasta soaks up the rest.
Sprinkle extra grated Parmesan Cheese and bacon over the top.

Place a couple basil sprigs for garnish.

Serve with garlic bread and a garden salad.

Gardening tip: When your basil flowers at the top. Let the blooms die (turn brown), cut the tops off for seed. Store in a baggie until the following spring. Crumble and sprinkle the seed over a pot or in a prepared flower bed,  water then and about once a week. It will take a 4-6 weeks and whala, you'll have so much basil you'll be sharing with friends.