Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. pine nuts
• 1 medium garlic clove, unpeeled
• 6 oz. whole wheat penne
• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Makes 4 Servings

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
2. Meanwhile, in a small ungreased skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan often, until golden and fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Pour onto a plate to stop the cooking. 
3. Add the garlic to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the water. When cool, peel and coarsely chop.
4. While the garlic is cooling, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cool running water. Drain well. 
5. While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto: In a food processor pulse the pine nuts, garlic, basil, spinach, lemon juice, oil, and 2 tablespoons water until combined. Add the Parmesan and cottage cheese. Process until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
6. In a large serving bowl, toss the cooled pasta with the pesto, slowly adding reserved cooking water until the sauce is desired consistency. Fold in the tomatoes and serve. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Super Quick Cookbook. Pasta is a wonderful comfort food once in a while. A pasta salad can be very delicious and filling for lunch or dinner and this particular salad does just that. Adding spinach or kale to the pesto keeps the color and boosts it will a touch more vitamins and minerals. You can cook this salad once and eat it twice. You can add cooked chicken or pork for a higher protein meal or make a double or triple batch of pesto and toss the salad with steamed vegetables of your choice.