Lemon Pesto Pasta

During the holidays, I made a few dishes with fresh basil.  I had quite a bit of it left, so I came up with this sauce to go over pasta.  I chose bow-tie pasta, but you can easily substitute your favorite!

You will need:

16 oz pasta, cooked al dente
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp onion, diced
1/2 C dry cooking wine (can substitute more broth here)
3/4 C fresh basil pesto (homemade or boughten)*
Juice from 1 small lemon
1/2 C heavy cream*
1/2 C vegetable broth or McKay's broth
1/4 C toasted pine nuts
1 bag Quorn chicken tenders, cooked (optional)

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add salt & pasta, and stir.  Cook until al dente.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add oil and garlic.  Place over medium heat and cook until you begin to smell the garlic.  Increase the heat to medium high and add onion and cook for 1 additional minute.  Add the cooking wine and bring to a boil for about 6-8 minutes.  Mix the pesto and lemon juice together and add to skillet.   Add the cream and the chicken tenders if using.   Continue to cook while stirring for an additional 4-5 minutes.  Finally add the broth to thin the sauce.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Drain the pasta and add to a large serving bowl.  Pour the sauce and nuts over the top and stir to combine.  Makes about 4-6 servings.

*To make this vegan, replace cream with a mixture of 1/4 C plain soy milk and 1/4 C vegan sour cream.  Pesto typically has cheese in it.  You can omit the cheese if you make the pesto yourself and it will still come out fine.  Finally, omit Quorn tenders - they contain a small amount of egg.