This one comes right from Ellie Krieger who posted a recipe on our site, Craving Ellie.

This is the dish Ellie recommended to our group this week.

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Recipe for May 5th:   Whole Grain Spaghetti with Roasted Tomato and Almond Pesto
Olive oil cooking spray
1 1/3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and quartered (about 6 medium) or 1 15 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds
1 medium clove of garlic
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 pound Whole Grain Spaghetti (note: I like Barilla)

-If using fresh tomatoes, Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking tray with cooking spray. Place the tomatoes on the tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until they are soft and slightly charred. When the tomatoes are nearly done, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

-In a medium dry skillet, toast the almonds over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.

-Transfer the nuts to a food processor, add the garlic and process until they are finely ground.

-Add the roasted or canned tomatoes, basil, vinegar and pepper flakes to the processor. As the processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream.

-Add the parmesan cheese and ¼ teaspoon salt and pulse to combine.

-Add the pasta to the water and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain and return the pasta to the pasta pot or to a serving bowl. Add the sauce and toss to combine.

-Season with additional salt to taste. Serve garnished with whole basil leaves.
–Makes 6 servings,  Serving size: 1 ¼ cups,  Prep time: 12 minutes,  Cooking time: 36 minutes

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My adjustments:

I used the fire roasted canned tomatoes since, this time of year, the fresh ones don’t seem to have much flavor.

I toasted my almonds on foil in the toaster oven.  It was one less dish to clean.

Ted asked “Is there any protein in tonight’s Ellie recipe?” UGH! …. I added a 12 oz. can of water packed tuna for Ted’s sake.

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We both agreed the pesto was outrageously tasty.

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This is a good pasta to serve at room temperature.  Expect a lot of flavor and a new recipe to add to your list of favorites.

Thanks Ellie. Hope you visit often and keep leaving a recipe trail.
CookBook Sale: Buy one, get second 50% off, offer expires 5/17/11!

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