Tomato, Basil, and Roasted Pine Nut Penne
16 ounces penne pasta (or gluten-free pasta if you are gluten intolerant)
2 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (or other high quality Greek olives)
5 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 cup olive oil (regular or extra-virgin)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup (packed) fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons or chopped
1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on its former home. While the penne is cooking, you can toss the sauce together. Place tomatoes in the largest bowl you have. No bowl is too big.
2. Add the chopped kalamatas, garlic, oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to the giant bowl. Gently toss well to combine.
3. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat until they are aromatic and lightly browned, shaking the pan often so that they cook evenly. Watch them closely, as this process will take well under 5 minutes. As soon as they are done, remove them from heat and set aside.
4. When the pasta is al dente, drain it well in a colander or strainer. Add it to the big bowl and toss it with the sauce. Mix well to combine. Add the pine nuts and basil. Toss lightly and serve immediately. Gloat.
Know any people with bad attitudes about vegan food? This dish will totally mess with their heads. Put some “Green Bread," “Spinach Strawberry Salad," and “Chocolate Bliss Pie" on the table as well and you may even score yourself some stalkers. Also, because this sauce isn’t cooked, you can throw this entrée together in about twenty minutes!
Source of recipe: This is a recipe from "Radiant Health, Inner Wealth." I originally invented it as a way to please omnis when I visit my family each year!
http://www.radianthealth-innerwealth.com/index.html
SO HOW'D IT GO?
Made this for dinner last night...Oh man, that's so good! My omnivore teenager begged for more, and came home today asking if there was any leftovers (there wasn't--I enjoyed it for lunch!). I subbed almonds for the pinenuts since I didn't have any. My dh loved it too! Thanks for the great recipe.
This is by far one of my favorite recipes that I have tried from Veg Web. It is very simple to make, and tastes amazing. My husband, and two little girls love it as well. Definitely a favorite in the Reese house :)
This was really good and I'm sure it will become a favorite in our household. Everyone was really pleased with this
I made this for dinner this evening and it was absolutely delicious!
I used regular black olives instead of the kalamata because my boyfriend isn't a big fan of olives and I thought the milder taste would be better. Unfortuantely the store was out of basil so I substituted parsley, but it still tasted wonderful. I will definitely keep this in mind when I'm in the mood for an easy pasta dish that has a little more complexity than simply covering the noodles with spaghetti sauce :)
so delicious and fresh tasting. i was surprised that this was one of the best pasta dishes i've made since it's so simple to put together. i loved the pine nuts and olives in this. I used whole wheat penne, black olives, and sauteed the garlic in some olive oil.
This is really good, however I could've done with less lemon juice. Also, some vegan butter next time would be a nice touch.
Oh, I didn't know this recipe was posted on vw. I actually made it for my lunch this week, but I got it out of RHIW. It's delicious. I've noticed that a lot of your recipes call for tons of garlic. I love it! I feel like all these years, I've been "under-doing" the garlic. Ha.
Thanks so much, I appreciate your sharing that with me!! You totally made my day. :)
This is fabulous! I bought Tess' book and everything in it seems to be AMAZING :)>>> My family and I recently went vegan and we couldn't be happier! Radiant Health Inner Wealth has helped us out tremendously! There is a LOT of valuable info in the book! Every recipe I have tried from her book is fabulous! Thanks, Tess!