April 15, 2010
Creamy Pesto Pasta Delicioso
Before I start with the recipe of the day, I wanted to let you all know about my entrance into the world of The Daring Kitchen! I’ve added a new page to my blog that you can check out for more information. And now onto our regularly scheduled oogling and drooling.
Mmmmm…. This was some dangerously delicious pasta. I made it up for dinner the other night because I had some leftover chicken and homemade pesto to use up. I tell ya, it was so good, I couldn’t help myself with making a comment after every. single. bite. My kids thought I was crazy, but they didn’t leave a trace of it either, so they must have thought the same thing. You can use premade pesto for this as well if you want to be quick about it, but I’ll add my pesto recipe at the end anyway, just in case you want to go for the real diddy. Ok, here’s what you’ll need:
3 Chicken Breasts worth of meat cooked and chopped
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Cups of Pesto
3 tsp Basil or one Small Bunch of Fresh Basil, Chopped
1/2 Pkg of Spaghetti
1 Onion, Chopped
1 6 Oz. Bag of Spinach, Chopped
1 Cup of Grape Tomatoes, Halved
3 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tbsp of Butter
1 Cup of Half and Half
1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
Get a large pot of salted water on the stove and set it to boil. Once the water is rolling, throw in your spaghetti and let it cook until tender.
Meanwhile, grab your large skillet, throw in 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil (yea, I know, I forgot to add it to the picture) and turn the heat onto medium. Add your garlic and onion to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in your chicken, spinach, and basil and stir to combine. Heat until cooked through and spinach is wilted; about 5 minutes. Finally, add in your pesto and let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes to heat through.
In a separate small pot, melt your butter on medium heat. Add in the half and half and let the mixture warm up; about 5 minutes. Add in your parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Turn heat down to low and let cheese melt into mixture. Here’s what you should have so far:
Doesn’t it look yummy?! For the last steps, add in your grape tomatoes to the spinach mixture and stir to combine. Let them heat up for a minute or two and then add in your half and half mixture. Stir it together. Finally add in your pasta and combine well. And that’s it! This was finger lickin, lip smackin, delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
On one final note, the recipe that I used to make my homemade pesto sauce was not my own. I borrowed it from Ina May Garten’s Pasta, Pesto, and Pea Salad, which if you ever get the hankering to make it, you won’t regret it. It’s divine! Have a great Thursday!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Dump (Don’t let the name fool you, it’s delicious!)
Holy Gnocchi! This Skillet Dinner is Delicious!
Don’t be Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers with a Side of Seasoned Home Fries
Veronica Lee — April 15, 2010 @ 6:16 pm
Yummy!!! My boys will definitely love this.
Happy Friday!
julie — April 15, 2010 @ 9:19 pm
Hey Veronica! Thanks for stopping by!
bunkycooks — April 16, 2010 @ 2:59 pm
What a delicious pasta dish! I love these kinds of dinners.
anniebakes — April 16, 2010 @ 3:35 pm
that looks super yummy, stopping by from sits and can't wait to look around!
http://www.anniebakes.blogspot.com
julie — April 16, 2010 @ 4:04 pm
Hey Annie! Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!
Julie — April 17, 2010 @ 12:51 am
Looks scrumptious with all that cheese on top. Yum!
julie — April 17, 2010 @ 8:47 am
Julie,
Thanks for stopping by! Have a nice Saturday!
italianmamachef — April 17, 2010 @ 9:04 am
Julie, this does look divine! It's nice to "meet" a fellow pasta lover and foodie mom. I can't wait to look around some more. Happy SITS Sharefest Saturday!
julie — April 17, 2010 @ 2:15 pm
Thanks so much for stopping by Michelle! I love your blog and agree that us foodies need to stick together.
Have a great weekend!