Mezze Penne with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

             Ever since I was a little kid Pesto has been a favorite of mine.  The reason I went out and bought a food processor was because I have an obsession with Pesto and knew I would use that cooking machine all the time.  The first Pesto I ever had was a traditional Genoa Basil Pesto and now I make over 5 kinds of pesto.  I promise to share them all as I make them, because they are all delicious! 

Ingredients:

* 1lb of Barilla Mezze Penne

* 1 jar of Sun dried Tomatoes in the oil (I use Bella Sun Luci brand.  At Wegmans it is in the Italian Isle)

* 1 cup of fresh basil (Packed down)

* 2-3 cloves of Garlic (depending on the size of the garlic)

* 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
* 1/4 cup of freshly grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

* salt and pepper to taste

* 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water

* Cooked Chicken cut into bite size pieces (optional)

Procedure:

* Put whole jar of sun dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, some salt, and pepper into a large food processor.(If you do not have one I highly recommend buying one! I just love mine!)

 * Blend until everything is finely chopped

* Transfer mixture into a mixing bowl and fold in grated cheese

* Cover with plastic wrap and set aside

* Fill large pot with water and some salt and heat to a rapid boil

* Cook Mezze Penne for 9 minutes until Al Dente 

* Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta

* throw pasta into a pasta bowl and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten.

* Add grilled chicken if you like (that's what I do)!

* If you do not want to use it right away then put it in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top to stay moist and fresh for a few days.