I bought a small basil plant at Whole Foods because it was cheaper than buying a container and I had a glimmer of hope that I could keep a plant alive. After a week I realized I had to use up the leaves or it was never going to grow so I made a mini-batch of pesto and put together a tasty summer pasta. This recipe serves two:

I made pesto using this recipe. I quartered it since I only wanted enough for our dinner and while the amount was perfect, I hadn’t anticipated that such a small amount would make food processing it a pain in the ass. It worked out in the end but I had to keep scraping it from the sides. Next time I’ll halve the recipe and just freeze the extra.

Boil up your pasta (whatever you like!) and in the last few minutes it cooks, heat one tablespoon of butter with a quarter cup of heavy cream in a medium saute pan. You may need up to another quarter cup depending on how thick your pesto is and how creamy you like your sauce.

Once the cream and butter are warmed, add the pesto and stir to combine it. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat it. Add a half cup of peas and a cup of halved grape or cherry tomatoes. Continue to toss until everything is warmed. Serve with grated parmesan and enjoy!