Linguine with Pesto and Tomatoes

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to our friend Rosemary Zwick for this one:

There were two good ol' boys from the South who love to fish,
and they wanted to do some ice fishing. They'd heard about it
up in Canada, so they took off up there. The lake was frozen
nicely. They stopped just before they got to the lake at a little
bait shop and got all their tackle. One of them said, "We're
gonna need an ice pick." So they got that, and they took off.

In about two hours, one of them was back at the shop and said,
"We're gonna need another dozen ice picks." The fellow in the
shop wanted to ask some questions, but he didn't. He sold
him the picks, and the old boy left. In about an hour, he was
back. Said, "We're gonna need all the ice picks you've got."

The bait man couldn't stand it any longer. "By the way," he
asked, "how are you fellows doing?"

"Not very well at all," he said. "We ain't even got the boat in
the water yet."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Prepared basil pesto is widely available these days from a number
of manufacturers, but none of them can hold a candle to the
homemade version. Use the store-bought kind if you're in a hurry,
but I've included the recipe below for those who want to go the
extra mile.

Linguine with Pesto and Tomatoes (Linguine al Pesto e Pomodori)

1/2 cup (125 ml) pesto Genovese (recipe below)
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 lb (450 g) linguine or other pasta shape, cooked
according to the package directions and drained

Combine the pesto, tomatoes, and 2 to 3 tablespoons (30-45 ml)
of the boiling pasta water in a large bowl. Add the cooked pasta
and toss to combine. Serves 4 to 6.

Pesto Genovese

2 cups (500 ml) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbs (45 ml) pine nuts (pignoli)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp (5 ml) salt, or to taste

Combine all ingredients in and electric blender and process until
smooth, stopping the blender once or twice to scrape down the sides
of the jar. When serving with pasta, "loosen" the sauce with a little
bit of the boiling water from the pasta pot. Makes about 2 cups
(500 ml).
Received on Wed Nov 22 04:20:48 2006