Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes

When I was in college, I loved getting pesto pasta from one of the coffee shops on campus. It was so delicious and simple that I just had to make it at home, especially when we started getting ridiculously large amounts of basil from our garden. This is great with a homemade pesto sauce, but you could also use store-bought too. Great summer side!

Ingredients:

2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil    
8 ounces macaroni pasta (or whatever you have on hand)
3 Tbsp pesto 
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain. 
2. When pasta has cooled slightly, add the pasta to a bowl with tomatoes, olive oil, and pesto. 
3. Toss and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
4. When ready to serve, top with parmesan cheese, to taste.

This recipe was inspired by the recipe at the Whole Grains Council (http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/main-dishes/penne-with-pesto-and-cherry-tomatoes).