Today is another gorgeous, warm day in NYC, so to keep it light but still packed with delicious flavors I prepared a whole wheat penne rigatoni pasta with a walnut pesto. For a  different twist to the usual pesto made with pine nuts, I used walnuts. I love walnuts. Not only are they delicious but they  help lower cholesterol, help combat cancer, help boost our memory, help lift our moods and they also protect out heart! The whole wheat pasta may be substituted for a rice pasta if you are following a gluten-free lifestyle.

So, once again, a very quick, healthy and delicious meal under 15 minutes from start to finish! More time to spend outside and take advantage of this weather. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Penne Pasta with Walnut Pesto
Ingredients: Serves 2
 1 cup whole wheat penne pasta
 2 cloves garlic
 Pinch of kosher salt
 Pinch of cracked black pepper
 ¼ cup fresh walnut pieces
 ½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
 ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
 ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Cook pasta according to directions, about 8 minutes.
Place the garlic, salt, pepper, walnuts, basil and cheese in a food processor. Slowly pour the
olive oil over the whole mixture. Cover and process for about 30 seconds. Remove cover and
with a rubber spatula scrape the sides down. Cover and process for another 30 seconds.
Drain the pasta and add 4 tablespoons of the pesto into the pasta. Mix well to incorporate the
pesto. Serve with some additional grated Parmesan cheese and some basil