Grilled Pork Chops With Pesto & Pasta with Veggies

When you have the charcoal grill going it's such a shame to waste the heat. So the other nite after I grilled the steaks, I just couldn't waste the hot coals, so I grilled up some pork chops, potatoes, smallwoods and corn. Tonight we had the pork chops topped with a dollop of fresh pesto with farfalle pasta and sauted veggies. I started by chopping up some garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, green pepper and sweet onion and sliced some mushrooms and sauted them in EVOO until the shrooms were a golden brown. While my veggies cooked, I made some pesto from basil in my garden. My recipe is simple- I roast about 1/3 C pine nuts in a 375 degree oven until they are light golden brown. This takes between 7-10 minutes. I take 3 cloves garlic, 3 C of basil packed in the measuring cup, and I blend in the food processor. I then add the pine nuts and drizzle 1/4-1/3 C EVOO into the processor as its still blending. I don't add salt because the cheese supplies plently. You are looking for a smooth creamy texture. I remove the mixture and place in a medium bowl and I fold in 1/4 C of freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano. You want the cheese to be finely grated. That's it!  I drained the cooked pasta and added it to the pan with he veggies along with  1/4 C chopped basil and mixed it in.  I served the pasta with the grated Parmigiana Reggiano and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Check it out-yummy and very easy!!