Spaghetti with Tomato-Walnut Pasta

This dish tastes like something you'd order at an Italian restaurant, but it's so quick and easy to make you can enjoy it on a busy weeknight. The original recipe included anchovies, which I've replaced by adding black olives. If you'd prefer to use anchovies, omit the olives and add 2 ounces chopped anchovies. Or, omit the olives, and serve both anchovies and olives with the pasta so diners can choose what they'd like.

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

6 ounces halved or choppped walnuts

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic (or 3 garlic cloves, minced)

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup water

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 1 teaspoon lemon zest)

1 (14-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

2 (3/4) packages fresh basil (about 1 cup), thinly sliced

Directions:

Prepare spaghetti according to manufacturer's directions. Drain spaghetti and keep warm.

Meanwhile, toast walnuts in a large dry saute pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until walnuts are just soft and no longer bitter, about 10 minutes. Add walnuts to a blender or food processor.

Return pan to heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and increase heat to medium-high. Add tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes are slightly soft, about 5 minutes.

Add tomato mixture, Parmesan cheese, and water to blender/food processor, and process until smooth. Set aside.

Add remaining olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and lemon juice/zest to pan and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes are just soft, about 3 minutes.

Add pasta, walnut mixture, and basil to pan, and stir to combine.

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