pesto has become one of my most essential basic recipes. last year, pesto was named by the new york times as one of the "new" mother sauces and I can completely understand why. as an amateur home cook, mastering homemade pesto unlocks potential in so many other recipes. it's not terribly fussy when it comes to ingredients and quantities, and therefore is endlessly adaptable with the use of different types of cheese, nuts (or no nuts!), herbs, and other greens. there's also a lemon mint version i'm dying to try! we use it routinely on homemade pizza, tartine, pasta, chicken, and now in yet another dish: pesto pasta salad.

what i love about this pasta for summer holiday bbqs is that it tastes good in a variety of temperatures. unlike most food, which degrades after it's been sitting outside on a picnic table, this pasta holds up pretty well when chilled, at room temperature, and warm.

| ingredients |

your favorite pesto (mine is below, I don't even bother using pine nuts)
oricchette pasta (you can really use any type of pasta but i like how the pesto gets in all the little ridges and the "pocket" of oricchette.)
bacon or pancetta, diced
frozen peas
asparagus, chopped
parmesan cheese

for the pesto:
evoo
2 cloves of smashed garlic
15-20 basil leaves
1 cup spinach leaves
2/3 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup parmigiano regiano cheese

to prepare pesto: add basil, garlic, spinach, feta and parm cheese to a food processor and blend. slowly add the evoo until desired consistency is reached. use immediately or scoop into a small mason jar and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

| method |

prepare or purchase your favorite pesto and set aside. in a large saucepan, cook diced bacon (or pancetta) over medium heat until lightly colored and crispy around the edges. remove bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, and cook the asparagus pieces in the leftover bacon grease for a few minutes, until tender. remove and set aside.

boil the oricchette in a large pot filled with salted water according to package directions, tossing the frozen peas in the pot during the last minute of cooking. drain the pasta and peas well before returning to the pot. add the bacon, asparagus and pesto to the warm pasta, gently stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate all ingredients and spread the pesto over all the pasta. top with some extra shaved parmesan cheese and serve warm, or let cool for a few minutes before covering and placing in the fridge. pasta salad can be eaten cool, warm or at room temp.