Food Experiments: Tomato Pesto Pasta

I always think that I like pesto until I actually eat it. It sounds and looks good, but when I finally eat it, it's just too oily for something so green and healthy looking! Today, I decided to try it again with a new recipe, hoping that the tomatoes would make it a little better. It worked to a point--I liked the taste of the pesto better, but I would still prefer to make it next time with less oil. I got the recipe from Cooking Light and adapted it to what I had in my kitchen.

Tomato Pesto Pasta with Feta Cheese

Ingredients

• 1/4 box fettucine
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (next time, I would try using the dried sun-dried tomatoes with a tablespoon or so  of olive oil)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• small handful chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, combine tomatoes, basil, walnuts, 1/4 cup feta, garlic, salt and black pepper in a food processor. Process until finely chopped.
3. When pasta is finished cooking, drain and reserve 1 cup of water. Mix reserved water with the tomato mixture and whisk together. Add pasta and mix until coated.
4. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of feta.