Fresh Tomato And Pesto Pasta Recipe

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I love fresh tomatoes. Not only do they taste delicious, tomatoes are loaded with health benefits because they are high in nutrients and antioxidants. I also love tomatoes because they go well in so many dishes and you don’t have to be a great chef to whip up a yummy tomato recipe. Just the other day, I got a bunch of fresh florida tomatoes and I added them to a pesto pasta dish and it turned out great so I will share that recipe with you here along with a few other tomato recipes. Thanks to the folks at Florida Tomato Committee for sponsoring this tomato recipe.

This super short video mixes in some humor so you can see just what is so special about Florida Tomatoes!

Tomato Recipe: Fresh Tomato And Pesto Pasta

This fresh tomato and pesto pasta is a great way to get all the health benefits of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh garlic. It is also a crowd pleaser and a great dish to bring to summer get-togethers. Plus, it is simple to make.

Serves 6

Fresh Tomato And Pesto Pasta Ingredients:

Yum

1 pound of penne pasta
2-3 large tomatoes
1 cup of pesto (you can use store bought make it yourself- 2 cups of basil leaves, 1/3 cup of pine nuts, 2 large cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese)
salt to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Fresh Tomato And Pesto Pasta Directions:

If you are making the pesto, start with that first by combining the fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a couple of pinches of salt to taste and mix in the cheese my hand. Place pesto in the fridge to cool a bit.

Cook your pasta according to the manufacturer’s al dente instructions and drain.

Mix the pasta and pesto together in a large serving bowl. You may not use all of the pesto just add it in until the pasta is coated the way you like it.

Remove the core of the tomatoes and chop the tomatoes into bite size chunks. Try to resist snacking on a few tomatoes while you work- or be like me and go ahead!

Then add your tomatoes to your pesto pasta and stir. I like to serve this Fresh Tomato And Pesto Pasta with some fresh bread. Enjoy!

Florida Tomato growers sure know how to grow fresh, delicious tomatoes, and they share some great recipes and funny videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/FloridaTomatoes

“For generations, Florida tomatoes have been grown, hand picked and cared for on family run farms …the Florida family of tomato growers are committed to healthful and sustainable farming practices that result in the most red, ripe, nutritious and delicious tomatoes available,” says Samantha Daves, Director of Education and Promotion for the Florida Tomato Committee.

I also love Italian tomato caprese- here is the video recipe from the FTC: