Whole wheat penne pasta with fresh green pea pesto, sauteed tomatoes and toasted walnuts

(Serves  4-6)

Ingredients
1 16oz package whole wheat penne pasta
1 ¼ C green peas (thawed)
1 green onion-chopped
1 C fresh parsley
½ C fresh mint
2 Tbsp. capers with juice
3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
1/3 C olive oil + 1 Tbsp.
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. garlic powder
½  tsp. red pepper flakes
1 C toasted walnuts – chopped
Additional salt & pepper to taste

Directions

• In a pot of boiling water that is salted with a dash of olive oil, add penne pasta and cook according to package directions, or until al dente.
• Toast 1 cup chopped walnuts; set aside.
• While pasta is cooking, add peas, parsley, mint, green onion, capers and lemon juice to a food processor,
• Add salt & pepper
• Pulse ingredients together and slowly add olive oil to combine pesto mixture
• Set pesto mixture aside and heat a heavy skillet with 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Add cherry tomatoes to hot skillet
• Add garlic powder, red paper flakes, salt & pepper to tomatoes. Let tomatoes heat through until they begin to blister about 3 minutes.
• Drain pasta and reserve a few tablespoons of cooking liquid for pesto mixture if it gets too thick and you need it (optional).
• Add pasta to a bowl and top with pesto, tomatoes, and chopped walnuts