Tag: pesto
Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta with Pesto
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 2 to 3 sausage, crumbled
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- ½ pound cooked pasta with 1 cup pasta water spared
Transfer the cauliflower florets to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle salt and olive oil. Roast under a hot broiler till all sides are golden brown- about 10 minutes on each side. Take out and keep aside.
Pesto
- 1 full cup fresh basil
- 1 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup pistachios
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt
Add the garlic and pistachios to a food processor. Pulse till chopped. Add the basil, anchovy fillets, start pulsing and drizzle the olive oil and proxess till a smooth sauce is formed. Take out of the processor, add the cheese, lemon juice and salt to taste. Keep aside.
Heat a wide frying pan and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water. Add the pesto, mix well and check for seasonings. Add more pasta water if necessary. Serve warm.
Roasted Pesto Chicken Pizza
What do you do with leftover roast chicken and cauliflower??? Well, you make individual, homemade pizzas, of course!
- One large pizza dough from a pizzeria cut into four pieces
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Preheat convection oven (preferred) to 450 degrees F.
Take one piece and form into a round ball and using some of the all-purpose flour roll into a 9-inch circle. Keep aside. Repeat with the other three pieces.
- 1 cup fresh tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Spread the tomato sauce on each rolled out pizza dough. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly and keep aside.
- 1 cup leftover roast chicken, potatoes and cauliflower- cut into small pieces
- Salt
- Pepper
Add a quarter cup of the roast chicken mixture on top of each pizza and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Parsley Pesto Pasta with Roasted Asparagus
When I think of spring, I think of asparagus and I think fresh green pesto. This pasta dish is a combination of both. I made a delicious parsley pesto which is very easy to make. I paired it with delicious roasted or grilled asparagus. It is a great side dish or a meal!
- 2 cups fresh parsley
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup pistachios
- Juice of half lemon
- ¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano
Transfer the parsley, garlic, pistachios and lemon juice to a food processor. Process till a smooth paste begins to form. With the top open, drizzle the oil till the pesto begins to form. Transfer to a small bowl and add the salt and cheese. Check for seasonings.
- 2 bunches asparagus
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the ends off the asparagus and cut the tops into 2 inch pieces. Transfer to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt. Mix well and roast in oven for 30 minutes for till golden brown. Take out and keep aside.
- ½ pound pasta, cooked al dente with 1 cup pasta water saved
Transfer pasta to a large frying pan. Add the pesto and the saved pasta water and stir over low heat till all the ingredients have come together. Fold in the roasted asparagus and check for seasonings. Serve with grated cheese.
Turkey Meatballs with Zucchini
- 1 pound ground dark meat turkey
- 1/3 cup prepared pesto
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ pound whole-wheat spaghetti, al dente
In a large mixing bowl, add the turkey meat, pesto, zucchini, eggs, breadcrumbs and salt. Mix well with fingertips and keep aside for an hour.
In the meantime, in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes and add the tomato sauce. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes and turn it down to a simmer.
Form medium sized meatballs and begin adding to the simmering sauce. Once all the meatballs are formed, cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Serve on top of al dente spaghetti.
Pork Ragu Lasagna with Pesto Bechamel
Pork Ragu
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups fresh tomato sauce
- Salt
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the pork and cook on high heat and separate the meat with a wooden spoon. Saute for a 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add salt if necessary and turn heat off and keep aside.
Bechamel Sauce
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon powdered nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup fresh or store bought pesto
Heat a medium saucepan and add the flour and butter. Melt the butter on medium high heat. Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk and whisk to make sure all the lumps are taken out. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the nutmeg and salt. Turn the heat off and keep aside. Add the pesto and mix well.
Lasagna
- 1 cup shredded Pecorino Romano
- 12 lasagna sheets (I used no boil pasta)
Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
Line a 9 X 11 glass pan with a quarter cup of béchamel sauce. Cover the bottom and add four pasta sheets. Spread one cup of meat sauce on top. Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded Pecorino. Place another 4 sheets on top. Pour about ¾ cup of béchamel sauce- spreading it all over the pasta. Add another cup of meat sauce. Add ¼ cup of shredded Pecorino. Place another 4 sheets on top and cover with the remaining béchamel sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take the cover off, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for another 15. Serve hot with salad and garlic bread.
Pesto Crusted Cod with Roasted Cauliflower
Healthy and delicious… what more does one want??? Try this one…
- 4 filets of cod or any other white fish
- ½ cup homemade or store bought pesto
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- Salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix the pesto with the breadcrumbs, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Season the filets with salt and divide the pesto mixture into 4 parts. Top each filet with the pesto mixture and set aside.
Place on a lined baking sheet and bake in oven for about 10 minutes or till the pesto mixture is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Baking time will vary according to the filet thickness. Take out and serve with roasted cauliflower and couscous.
Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
- 1 cup cherry tomaotes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
Place the florets and tomatoes onto a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well and roast for about half an hour or till the cauliflower is golden brown. Serve with the fish.
Mushroom Penne with Pesto
A quick weeknight meal- ready in minutes and delicious!!
- 20 ounces mushrooms, a mix of white and cremini, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 1 large shallot, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- ½ pound penne pasta
- ½ cup pesto, store bought
- Salt to taste
In a medium pan, bring salty water to a roaring boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the box directions.
In the meantime, in a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the pancetta. Saute till light brown on medium heat, for about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute for another 3-4 minutes. Next, add the mushrooms and cook on high heat stirring constantly. They will wilt down to almost half their size. Add the cooked pasta and the pesto. Turn the heat off, stir and check for salt.