Tag: pesto
Linguini with Haricot Vert, Potatoes and Pesto
Perfect dish for meatless Mondays! I have made this dish many times but I decided to jazz it up a bit with adding my own homemade croutons. It’s not in the recipe below but it’s quite simple. I took a baguette and diced it into 1 inch squares. I then cooked some grated garlic in olive oil, drizzled it all over the cut up bread on a cookie sheet and baked the whole thing for 5 minutes- and voila.. I had yummy croutons. It adds a great crunch to the dish…
- 2 medium yellow skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Heat a wide frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the potatoes and sauté on medium high heat, stirring, for about 4 to 5 minutes or till the potatoes are golden brown and cooked through. Take out of the pan and keep aside.
- 2 cups Haricot vert, trimmed
- ½ pound linguini
- Salt
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the beans. Cook for a minute and immediately place under cold water, dry and keep aside. Add the pasta in the same boiling water and cook till done. Drain and spare half cup of the pasta water.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought (recipe follows)
- Salt
Reheat the frying pan and add the olive oil. Return the potatoes to the pan with the green beans, pesto, pasta and the ½ cup pasta water. Mix well and heat everything through on medium heat. Check for seasonings and serve.
Basil Pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt
In a food processor, add the garlic and pine nuts. Process till smooth. Add the fresh basil and while the processor is on, drizzle the olive oil slowly till the consistency is smooth and wet. Take out in a bowl and add the cheese, lemon juice and salt. Store in the fridge.
Pasta with Pistachio Pesto and Mushrooms
Here is a yummy pasta for Meatless Monday! Delicious pistachio pesto is added for a nutty flavor and the mushrooms add an amazing earthy taste…
Pistachio Pesto
- 1 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- Salt
Transfer the pistachios and garlic to a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds. Add the mint and parsley. While the processor is on, drizzle the oil in. Add the cheese and salt to taste. Keep aside.
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ pound pasta cooked al dente, ½ cup pasta water spare
- Salt
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
Heat a large frying with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat, stirring constantly for 4 to 5 minutes or till they are golden brown. Add the pasta and stir well. Start by adding ½ cup of the pesto and adjust as needed. Add salt to taste. Garnish with cheese and serve.
Easy Pesto Meatballs
I love making meatballs. This recipe is for days when you don’t have time but want to have a yummy Italian dinner….Super easy meatballs!!!
- 1 lb. ground turkey, pork or ground sirloin
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 3-4 tablespoons home made or store bought pesto
- 1 egg- lightly beaten
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
Mix all the ingredients well but do not over do it. Transfer sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Form meatballs and cook in sauce for 30 minutes or till the meatballs are cooked through.
Mushroom and Pesto Lasagna
Yummy lasagna for the fall…
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper
Heat a saucepan with the butter and add the flour. Stir with a whisk on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk and garlic gradually and continue whisking and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Check for seasoning and keep aside.
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- Salt
Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes till the mushrooms are golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and keep aside.
- ½ cup prepared or homemade pesto
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 9 to 12 no boil lasagna noodles
- 1 8X8 oven-proof pan
Pour a ladle of white sauce to the bottom of the pan, add one layer of noodles on top. Add another ladle of sauce. Spread ¼ cup pesto and sprinkle ¼ cup of Parmigiano cheese on top of that. Then, add half of the sliced mushrooms. Top with another layer of noodles and repeat the process. Top with another layer of noodles and pour the remaining sauce covering the top and sides. Top with the mozzarella cheese, cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes till the noodles are fully cooked and cheese is gooey. Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta
This is one great, yummy way to use the pesto from yesterday. The dish is easy to make and was done in no time…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 sausage links, whichever ones you like, casings taken off and crumbled
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- ½ pound cooked pasta, with pasta water to spare (about ½ cup)
- ½ to ¾ cup broccoli rabe and parsley pesto
- Salt
Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook on a medium high heat, breaking the meat with the back of a wooden spatula for 2 to 3 minutes or till the meat is golden brown. Add the shallots and cauliflower. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes till the cauliflower is golden brown. Turn heat to low and cover with lid for 5 minutes or till the cauliflower is cooked through. Remove lid and add the cooked pasta. Mix well. Turn heat off and add the pesto and ½ cup pasta water. Mix well and check for seasonings. Add salt and serve.
Broccoli Rabe and Parsley Pesto
I love making pesto- as it is very versatile. It can be used in pasta dishes, as a sauce for meat or fish dishes or as a filling in lasagna.. sky is the limit. One can make pesto of nearly anything- I decided to use my favorite green- broccoli rabe.. and I paired it with parsley and almonds. The result was delicious…
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano, grated
- 2 cups broccoli rabe, the leaves taken off and chopped
- 2 cups parsley, chopped
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Transfer the garlic, almonds and cheese to a food processor. Pulse this the garlic and almonds are chopped. Add the broccoli rabe, parsley and lemon juice. Process till everything is chopped well. Slowly drizzle the olive oil while processing the mixture. Take out of the processor and transfer to bowl. Check for seasonings and add salt. Serve on top of any meat, fish or mixed with pasta.
Sausage and Green Bean Pasta
This is a perfect dish to make for this season as the basil season is coming to an end. I cut down all my basil and made a big batch of pesto to freeze. It is a great way to enjoy some summer flavors in a few month!
Pesto
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 cups basil
- ¼ cup tarragon
- ¼ cup parsley
- Salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or more if needed)
Add the garlic, cheese, pine nuts, lemon zest and lemon juice to a processor. Process for a minute and add the basil, tarragon, parsley and salt. Process for a minute and gradually add the oil while the machine is still on. Taste for seasonings and keep aside.
- 8 oz tender green beans, trimmed
Add the green beans to boiling water. Bring back to a boil and take out and dip into cold water to retain the color. Take out and keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 links chicken sausage, casings taken off and crumbled
- ½ pound pasta, cooked al dente
- Salt to taste
Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté on a medium high heat, stirring constantly for 5 to 6 minutes till golden brown. Add the pasta and green beans. Add enough pesto to coat everything and mix well. Add salt if needed and serve.