Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 4 cups uncooked fusili pasta
• 1 cup fresh basil pesto
• 2 tablespoons chopped green olives, or olive tapenade
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
• 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• Several fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, using salted water — 1 1/2 teaspoons per quart. When the pasta is cooked but still firm, al dente, take it off the heat and drain it. While that’s happening, toast the pine nuts in a small pan over medium-high heat. Stay close; pine nuts have a dramatic little habit of going from beautifully toasted to bitter and burnt in seconds.
2. Once most of the pine nuts are lightly golden, transfer them to a cool bowl. Don’t leave them sitting in the hot pan, or they’ll keep cooking and burn.
3. Put the drained pasta into a big bowl. Stir in the fresh basil pesto, green olives, and toasted pine nuts. Fold in the cherry tomatoes, peas, fresh basil leaves, and olive oil gently, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve at room temperature.