Rigatoni With Green Olive-Almond Pesto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 (7 1/2 ounce) manzanilla olives, pitted (or green)
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and sliced
1/2 cup Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup asiago cheese, grated

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Drain pasta, reserving 6 tablespoons cooking liquid.
Place olives, sliced almonds, parsley leaves, black pepper, and garlic in a food processor; pulse 3 times or until coarsely chopped.
With processor on, add 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon vinegar through the food chute, processing until mixture is finely chopped.
Combine pasta, 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, and olive mixture in a large bowl; toss well.
Add enough of remaining 2 tablespoons cooking liquid to make pasta mixture moist, tossing well to coat.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Serve hot 1 2/3 cup servings.