Orzo pasta with pesto and tomatoes

This rice-like pasta makes a great change to the usual, bulky pasta salad.   With peppery rocket, fragrant pesto and ripe tomatoes, this is delicious on its own or with some meat or fish.   Packs well for lunch the next day, perhaps with some slices of goats cheese.

200g dried orzo pasta

600g cherry tomatoes

about 5 ripe vine tomatoes or 300g cherry tomatoes 

100g rocket, roughly chopped

PESTO:

50g basil (plus extra for garnish)

150ml olive oil

1 Tbs pine nuts, toasted (plus extra for garnish)

1/2 clove garlic

2 Tbs parmesan, grated (plus extra for garnish)

Salt and pepper

Cook the orzo in a pan of boiling, salted water according to the instructions, probably 9 minutes until al dente.    Drain well and rinse under cold water.

To make the pesto - blitz the basil, garlic and olive oil in a food processor, add the cheese, salt, pepper and pine nuts, pulse to combine (don't over process the nuts, small chunks are good!)

If using vine tomatoes, cut in half, then into bite size chunks, discard the seeds.  Or cut cherry tomatoes in half (probably no need to de-seed)

Combine the pasta, pesto, tomatoes and rocket in a serving dish.   Garnish with a little extra grated parmesan, basil leaves and pine nuts.