Foodista's Arugula Pesto Pasta

Dan and I have been making a conscious effort to eat healthier when not eating out. We're trying to avoid processed sauces with unnecessary salt, and that's why I decided to make this light and earthy arugula pesto as a base for my pasta dish. It was a big hit and I was able to salvage half of it for extra use, later in the week. I put it on sandwiches, pita bread and chips. Next time, I might make even more and freeze it--it's super easy and is packed with lots of vitamins.

Foodista's Arugula Pesto Pasta (Serves 3)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of thick noodle pasta (can be whole wheat but it doesn't have to be)
3 cups of fresh arugula, packed (preferably organic)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
2 tbs of freshly shaved parmigiano cheese
1 handful of nuts (can be walnuts, pine nuts or almonds - I used almonds)
2 tbs of olive oil (this can be eye-balled and depends on your taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of yellow and red cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup of pitted kalamata olives, cut in half

Directions:
To make pesto place arugula, garlic, nuts, salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse 3-4 times. Slowly add olive oil and keep pulsing until you get a consistency that you're happy with (I like it to be slightly chunky and not completely pureed). Take out of food processor and add grated parmigiano cheese. Taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary. Pesto will be slightly bitter, which is OK.

Cook pasta according to directions on the box - do not drain but take out with a slotted spoon and place in pasta bowl. Add arugula pesto, tomatoes and olives. Toss to spread sauce evenly over pasta, taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle with more fresh parmigiano cheese if you'd like. Enjoy!