Creamy Pesto Pasta

With school back in session now, our family is in need of some quick-to-prepare meals on the menu.  And this simple pasta dish fits the bill perfectly!  Including chopping and sauteing the chicken, this go-to meal can be prepared in less than 30 minutes beginning to end.  And if you have leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken on hand, it could be done in only the time it takes to cook the noodles!  Super fast, creamy, and full of fresh basil flavor...this one is a winner at our house! 


Recipe Source:  See Jane in the Kitchen

Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:


1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup pesto

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt

pepper
3 cups shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)

1 pound penne pasta, cooked and drained

Directions:
Boil heavy cream, stirring constantly, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until it thickens. Add pesto and stir then add Parmesan cheese. 

Stir until cheese melts and mixture is well-combined.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss with chicken and pasta.

Enjoy!

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Cheese Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad

  Lemon chicken---too tart.  Cottage meatloaf---great flavor, but fell apart into a pile of goulash.  S'more cookies--average.  Apple mac and cheese---weird.  BLT pasta--needs tweaking.  Basil mashed potatoes---blah. 

After a summer of eating old-favorite foods almost every night, I was excited for school to start, so I could get a little wild and crazy in the kitchen again.  But alas, after trying dud after dud after dud over the last few weeks, my culinary bravado is starting to wane.  Thank goodness for this one bright shining star recipe in among all those other lackluster dishes, or I'd be ready to throw in the towel.   Er, at least throw down my cookbooks and buy myself a new one. 

 With its classic garlic, basil, and cheese flavors, I'm putting this pasta salad on my list of dishes that would be great to serve at a potluck.    A couple of my picky kids picked the tomatoes out of their servings, but had no trouble gobbling up the rest of it.    Don't worry if you end up with some leftovers...this was just as tasty the next day!   Makes for a great vegetarian main dish or a hearty side dish to go along with some grilled meat.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  Worldwide Ward Cookbook:  Secret Recipes

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

8-oz. rotini pasta
1 pkg. (20-ounces) cheese filled tortellini (find in the refrigerated or frozen section)
1 can (14-ounces) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 pkg. (10-ounces) grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 can (6-ounces) black olives, drained, halved lengthwise
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 jar (8-ounces) basil pesto (I used 1 cup of fresh pesto)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
12-ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed

Directions:  Cook pastas in boiling water as directed on package; set aside to drain and cool.  In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, folding gently until well mixed.  Gently fold in pastas. 

Add additional salt, pesto, or olive oil if desired.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.  If you make this a day ahead, you may need to add a bit more olive oil, salt, and Parmesan cheese before serving.  Serve at room temperature.  Makes 10-12 servings.  Enjoy! 

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Fresh Basil Pesto

This fresh pesto recipe has been my go-to recipe for the last few years and I was surprised recently to see that I'd never shared it here on the blog.   At least a few times each summer and fall, I will whip up a batch of this delicious pesto, and make some of my favorite pesto recipes (Pesto Tortellini Salad, Chicken Pesto Pizzas,  Pesto and Tomato Pasta, Turkey-Pesto Roll-Ups).  Usually I just make a half batch, since my spindly basil plants often don't have five cups of leaves at a time, but half-batch or full-batch we always manage to eat it all.  Besides the pesto recipes, we love to spread some on our sandwiches or use it as a meat marinade. What about you?  What are your favorite ways to use pesto?   

Recipe adapted slightly from:  Food Network:  Barefoot Contessa

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup pine nuts 
3 Tbs. minced garlic (~9 cloves)  (if you're not a huge garlic fan, then you may want to cut this amount in half)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-¼ cups olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:  Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or in a blender). Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. Makes 2-1/2 cups.   Serve over pasta, as a pizza topping, stir into meatballs, spread onto sandwiches, or brush over meat as a marinade.  Enjoy! 

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