[CH] Pesto recipe

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Hello all!

Having spent my weekend (thanks to the generosity of a gardening coworker)
elbow-deep in basil leaves, I was put in mind of a recipe I came up with a
couple of years ago for a party; you could of course use commercially
prepared pesto, but if you can make it yourself, so much the better!

Jonathan

Habanero Pesto Pasta Salad 

For the pesto (about 1-11/2 cups):

2 tightly packed cups fresh basil leaves 
5 cloves garlic, minced 
2 habanero chiles, seeded, minced 
1/3 cup pine nuts 
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil 

For the pasta salad:

1 16-oz package tri-color rotini (or your favorite pasta)
8 oz. cherry or pear tomatoes, halved 
1 medium red onion, diced 
1 red & 1 green bell pepper, seeded & diced 
1 head broccoli, stemmed, cut into small florets 

To make the pesto:

Combine the garlic, chiles and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor
and blend into a paste. Add and blend in basil leaves in small batches.
When all basil has been added, repeat with cheese. As mixture becomes very
thick, add olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Set aside. 

To make the pasta salad: 

Boil rotini until al dente. Drain and place in large mixing/serving bowl.
Add pesto and mix well; add vegetables and toss until well distributed.
Serve immediately if wanted warm, or can be chilled and served cold. 

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