Whole Wheat Penne with Fresh Pesto and Grilled Broccolini

The only kind of basil they sell at Trader Joe's comes in a huge box, so I had a lot of leftovers after making bruschetta the other day. My friend gave me a great idea to use up the rest of the basil: make a pesto! This is a great idea for a simple but delicious meal that can be made quickly. The broccolini and onions give it a classy touch.

For the Pesto:

•One large bunch basil

•1 cup pine nuts, ground

•One Tbsp. olive oil

•About 1 tbsp. lemon juice, to taste

•Pinch of salt

For the Vegetables:

•One bunch broccolini (regular broccoli works too, cut into smaller pieces)

•Half a red onion

•Olive oil and salt as needed

For the Pasta:

•Enough whole-wheat penne for two

Boil water and add pasta. 

Chop the basil into fine pieces-a food processor would work well, but I don't have one so I used a large knife instead, which worked fine and gave it a nice texture. Toss in the ground pine nuts and beat into the basil throughly with a fork. Once combined, add the oil, lemon, and salt. Taste and adjust the last three ingredients according to preference.

Cut the broccolini and onion and grill together with oil and salt in a skillet over high heat until broccolini is lightly browned and the onions become a bit transparent. 

When the pasta is done, strain out the water and mix well with the pesto. Put onto plates and add the vegetables on top. Enjoy!