Saucy Pesto Pasta

This 30 minute Saucy Pesto Pasta recipe with sundried tomatoes, spinach, cream in a basil pesto sauce is great when you’re craving Italian but you want a vegetarian dinner.

I’ve said it before ad I’ll say it again I am not vegetarian, but it seems that 3 to 4 meals a week are meat free.

Pasta is prefect with or without meat. I know I post a lot of pasta recipes, but pasta is so versatile, easy and delicious you can have pasta often

without repeating the same recipe, plus who doesn’t love pasta!!!

Make The Pesto For Saucy Pesto Pasta

Making your own Pesto sauce for this Saucy Pesto Pasta is so easy. In a food processor blend 4 cups fresh basil with 2 tablespoons of garlic, 1 cup pine nuts and  1 cup parmesan cheese.

Process until blended then with the food processor running slowly add 2 cups extra virgin olive oil.

That’s it!! Homemade pesto!!! If you make this Recipe Please tag me on Instagram with your creations. And please don’t forget to leave me a comment I love hearing from you, It’s my favorite Part!!!

Ingredients

• 1 Lbs. penne pasta
• 1 cup sundried tomatoes chopped
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 2 cups reserved pasta water
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups prepared pesto
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons each olive oil and butter

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions reserving 2 cups of the pasta water
2. In a large sauté pan heat the oil and butter to medium
3. Add the onion and garlic sauté until tender and just beginning to brown
4. Add the sundried tomatoes sauté 5 minutes longer
5. Add the cream and resevered pasta water simmer covered on low for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens
6. Add the spinach, pesto sauce and parmesan cheese simmer 10 minutes longer
7. Toss the drained penne with the sauce sprinkle with additional parmesan and fresh chopped Italian Parsley and ENJOY!!!

Pesto Pasta Primavera

This pesto, pasta, primavera is ever-changing, depending on what fresh vegetables you have on hand. The most important ingredient is fresh vegetables and good pesto sauce

You can use store bought or homemade pesto, I used homemade. There are a few staples in my kitchen I almost always have, one is marinara, the other is pesto.

The recipe for the pesto is  easy in a blender  mix 1 bunch of washed basil stems removed, add 1 cup parmesan, 1 cup toasted pine nuts  pour in 2 cups extra virgin olive oil.

Quick, easy, delicious and versatile is what make this healthy vegetarian meal prefect for weeknight family meals and it’s decant enough for Saturday night dinner with friends.

If you want a hearty  meal add chicken, shrimp or mix in any left overs. Change the shape of the pasta and the combination of add ins and you wouldn’t repeat the same meal for aleast a week.

You’LL Love this Pesto Pasta Primavera

Sure there’s a time for fancy plated, layered creations, that take hours to prepare, but for me, quick, easy, and delicious is what am looking for.

I want recipes that come together in less than an hour, most times less then 30 minutes.  This pesto, pasta primavera comes together in less than 30 minutes , but your family and friends will think it took much longer.

When am stuck for dinner ideas or company’s coming it’s pasta I turn to. You are going to love this pasta, it’s vibrant  colors and fresh flavors make this one of those meals you’ll want to make often.

If you make this please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, hearing from you is my favorite part!!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 Lbs. Fettuccine
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1 cup fresh corn
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 2 cups prepared pesto sauce
• 2 cups reserved pasta water
• 3 Tablespoons chopped garlic
• 3 Tablespoons each chopped Italian parsley and basil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. cook pasta according to package directions reserving 2 cups of pasta water
2. In a large saute pan in 2 tablespoons of  olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter saute the onion and garlic until tender and just starting to brown
3. Add the vegetables salt and pepper now saute 5 minutes
4. Add pesto and pasta water simmer 5 minutes longer
5. Toss pasta in pesto sauce add herbs
6. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese ….. Enjoy

Pesto Broccoli Gnocchi

This Pesto, Broccoli , gnocchi, dinner , is as Irish as am going to get on this Saint Patrick’s Day.

I am 100% Italian my husband is Irish, so I do cook corn beef and cabbage once a year, even though he could take it, or leave it.

Well this year, we are going to leave it, since I can’t get to the store with the Corona virus, and if I could the shelves are bare. That’s all am going to say about the  times were living in.

This Pesto, broccoli, gnocchi recipe was inspired by me wanting to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day even if it wasn’t traditional, with  ingredients I had on hand

So  here it is pesto, broccoli, gnocchi recipe that is easy and so quick it can be on your table in 30 minutes,  made in one pan and  your family and friends will love it.

It’s so easy it makes a great week night meal with family. Make it in a stove to table skillet and you have an easy gnocchi dinner, just fancy enough for Saturday night dinner with friends.

What Are  Gnocchi

Gnocchi is an Italian pasta, think small Italian dumplings. The most common is classic potato, the flavor  I used in this Pesto broccoli gnocchi recipe,

Homemade  are made of cooked mashed potatoes, flour and eggs. Some gnocchi recipes add ricotta to the dough. You can find these same flavors in store bought gnocchi.

Growing up, and in later years at the restaurants  I watched my Mama make gnocchi, on a floured broad using both hands, her skills never ceased to amaze me.

I was never as masterful  as my Mama, but in the restaurants before the prep cooks and after my  Mama passed, I make thousands of gnocchi, although I never learned how to use two hands.

Lucky for the home cook, in this pesto, broccoli, gnocchi recipe you don’t have to made homemade gnocchi. You can use store bought shelve or refrigerated gnocchi.

There are some good brands out there, experiment with different brands and flavors to find what fits your lifestyle and taste. I like, wait NO, I love one pan cooking, homemade

gnocchi don’t work as well for one pan cooking, you could up with mashed potatoes instead of little dumplings. In this pesto broccoli recipe I used classic refrigerated potato gnocchi.

Gnocchi cook quickly add them to the sauce the last 5 minutes of cooking, if at this point the sauce is to thick add a little chicken stock, if to liquid add 1 tablespoon of butter coated with butter.

When you make this recipe please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, that’s my favorite part!!!!

Ingredients

• 8 oz. store bought potato gnocchi
• 1 lbs. broccoli florets
• 1 cup chopped pancetta
• 1 cup prepared pesto sauce store bought or homemade
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons each chopped Italian parsley, basil and thyme
• 3 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large saute pan  with the butter render the pancetta until crisp
2. Don’t drain the pancetta fat
3. Add the chopped onion and garlic saute until limp
4. Add the broccoli and chicken stock simmer covered 5 minutes
5. Add the gnocchi simmer 5 minutes longer
6. Add the parmesan cheese and herbs…..ENJOY!!!