Pasta with Rocket Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

Pasta with rocket pesto, cherry tomatoes and olives: a fresh and quick main for your summer days.

I came to know this recipe thanks to a fantastic friendship, the one between my son Dedeo and my cousin’s son Filippo.

The strong affection I feel for Filippo’s mum goes back to when I was a child.

I used to enjoy my summers in the Italian region near Venice and Slovenia called Friuli Venezia Giulia, where my mum came from.

My grandparents lived there and I spent the summers in their company in the Friuli countryside, loving to play and chat with my 4 cousins, all girls, who lived there too.

I lived in Milan (4 hours drive from Friuli) but I longed to meet them in Friuli every year and in winter there was a long mailing correspondence between us.

6 years ago, at the youngest of the 5 cousins’ wedding, Dedeo and Filippo met and it was as if they had known each other for their entire life!

That’s why more than once me and my cousin tried to find occasions for them to meet.

Filippo and his family came twice to spend their holidays here in Imperia, so Dedeo and Filippo could play together.

And that’s when his dad prepared for us pasta with rocket pesto, cherry tomatoes and olives!

Since then this dish has been a great summer hit for us and today I am going to share that with you.

You can use a food processor for the pesto – even if when I eat this dish I really appreciate the crunchiness of the almonds under my teeth, so I prefer the rocket pesto to be a bit rough rather than creamy.

Ingredients for the pasta with rocket pesto, cherry tomatoes and olives

• 125gr rocket
• 100 gr almonds
• 1 garlic clove
• extra vergin olive oil
• salt
• 500 gr short pasta
• 400 gr cherry or date tomatoes
• 200 gr stoned black olives (here in Imperia, I use Taggiasca olives, small with a sweet fruity flavour)

How to prepare pasta with rocket pesto, cherry tomatoes and olives

Wash the rocket, cut it roughly and place it in the food processor with the almonds, the garlic, a pinch of salt and a half a glass of oil.

Pulse until creamy if you like, or leave it uneven if you prefer (this is how I prefer it).

Place the rocket pesto in a serving bowl.

Cut the tomatoes in two or three pieces and add them to the bowl.

Add the olives.

Cook the pasta and, if necessary, pour half a ladle of the cooking water in the bowl to fluidify the pesto.

Add the drained pasta.

Adjust of extra virgin olive oil and salt if necessary and enjoy!