Herbie Likes Spaghetti: Simple, Stunning Pasta for Dinner Tonight

I've found that it's been pretty hard for me to get motivated to cook lately (and blog for that matter, if you'll notice how long it's been since I've been back here!). I think it has to do with the sun going down so early. By 4 o clock it feels like it's night time, and by the time work is over, the last thing I want to do is cook.

Fortunately, there are recipes like this simple tomato basil pesto that are super easy and extremely tasty. It doesn't take a ton of time to make, so you can eat and relax without much fuss. I love it because it utilizes basil and tomatoes which are really more of a summer flavor and are never that good in the winter. Because it's blended with other savory ingredients, you can get away with having mediocre tasting tomatoes and still get that summer flavor.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need
15 basil leaves
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 lb linguine

Boil up some salted water and start cooking the linguine. It'll take about 8 minutes or so to cook - check it from time to time, and when it still has a touch of bite left, take it out of the water as you'll be cooking it a bit at the end.

While the pasta is cooking, combine your basil, cherry tomatoes, garlic, almonds and romano cheese into the food processor. Give it a good couple of pulses until a paste has formed. Then, carefully scrape down the ingredients that have risen to the sides. Close the processor again, and start drizzling in the olive oil. Pulse continuously until the olive oil has been used up and you've got a nice blended puree.

Give the puree a taste, and season with salt and pepper. If you feel like it needs a bit more sweetness, you can add some more basil or for more tanginess, a bit more cheese, and then just pulse to incorporate.

Heat up a sauté pan and pour in the basil tomato pesto and bring to heat. The pasta should be done at this point, so grab the linguine with your tongs and transfer to the sauté pan. Toss with the pesto over medium high heat and add in about a tablespoon of pasta water. Toss together until everything is nicely combined, a little less than a minute.

Serve in a bowl garnished with grated pecorino, and enjoy!