Italian Pasta Bake

Cheesy goodness - this dish is full of it! It is the perfect comfort dish for the season. Warm cavatappi pasta melded with fresh pesto, fire roasted tomatoes, ground beef and fresh asiago cheese make this casserole fabulous. It it the perfect quick solution to a weeknight meal that will feed the entire family, or feed just you and your roommates with enough leftovers for lunch for the rest of the week. Even though the panko breadcrumbs are optional I would highly suggest including them as they give this dish the perfect crunch!

Source: Simply Scratch

You Will Need:

• 1 pound Ground Sirloin
• 1 {16 oz.} box Cavatappi Pasta
• 1 cup Basil Pesto
• 1 {15 oz} can Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
• 1 bag Fresh Baby Spinach
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
• 1-1/2 cups Freshly Grated Asiago Cheese
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs {optional}
• Olive Oil

 Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil and season generously with kosher salt
• Add pasta and cook to just shy of al dente
• Reserve a cup of pasta water
• To the pasta add the pesto and Asiago cheese and mix
• Meanwhile; over medium heat cook the ground turkey and garlic until the turkey is fully cooked, about 8 minutes
• Add the entire can of tomatoes and stir
• Place all the spinach on top of the simmering tomato and turkey mixture; reduce heat and cover to cook the spinach about 2-3 minutes
• Next, add the pesto pasta to the tomato mixture and toss
• If desired add a little of the pasta water to thin out the sauce
• Immediately add the pasta to a lightly oiled baking dish
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese
• For more texture; sprinkle with a cup of panko bread crumbs and drizzle with a little olive oil, this step is totally optional
• Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until the top is golden (about 20-25 minutes)
• Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving

Serves 6-8
Happy Feasting!

Rigatoni with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

I have already made a fresh basil pesto and an arugula pesto, but I thought that a sun-dried tomato pesto would be delicious, especially for summer! A little while back in my simple greek salad post, I talked about the amazing sun-dried tomato pesto that we ate with that meal. Well, as promised here is the recipe! This pesto is super easy and is such a great change from your regular basil pesto. This pesto could be used as a sandwich spread or served over chicken if you are not much of a pasta eater, although this pesto might make you one!

You Will Need:

• 1 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbsp pine nuts
• 2 peeled garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Here We Go:

• Add first five ingredients to blender or food processor and blend until smooth
• Add the olive oil and process until thick paste forms
• Garnish with fresh basil and fresh parmesan, if desired

Happy Feasting!
This pesto also freezes very well so you can save the leftover pesto for later!

Pesto, Tomato & Mozzerella Cheese Pizza

And what do you do with lots of leftover pesto? Use it for pizzas of course! This pizza is so simple and delicious. We used whole wheat pizza dough and it was divine. I don't think think that my husband would of known it was whole wheat if I hadn't told him. The tomaotes, fresh pesto and mozzerella are the perfect flavor combination. Sprinkle a little bit of fresh parmesan and basil on top after the pizza has finished cooking and you have quite the tasty za.

You Will Need:

• 1 ball of pizza dough (we used whole wheat for this recipe)
• 1/4 cup fresh pesto or store-bought
• 1/2 of a 12oz bag of mozzarella cheese
• 1 vine ripened tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
• Roll out dough to desired thickness using your hands or a rolling pin if you have one
• Sprinkle olive oil over stone or baking sheet to avoid dough sticking
• Place dough on pizza stone or baking sheet
• Top dough with pesto, tomato and mozzerella cheese
• Bake for 10-12 minutes on top rack, or until golden brown
• Sprinkle with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese if desired

Makes 8 Slices

Happy Feasting!

Fresh Basil Pesto

I adore fresh basil. I love cooking with it and putting it on anything that I can. It can get pricey which leads a lot of people to use the dried basil found in a pre-packaged spice canister. I definitely used to be one of those people until I had the real thing.  And I can now tell you that it is just not the same! After countless trips to the grocery store to buy fresh basil, I decided that it was time for me to purchase a few basil plants to grow myself. I bought two basil plants, because you can never have enough basil, and one thyme plant. I have had these plants for just over a month and they have already doubled in size...look!

So what do you do with too much basil? You make fresh pesto of course!

You Will Need:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan – Reggiano
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Here We Go:

• Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in food processor or blender
• Add garlic, pulse a few times more
•  Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on
• Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula
• Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended
• Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Makes 1 Cup
Happy Feasting!



Chicken and Arugula Pita Pockets

I was recently asked by a reader for some healthy and delicious lunch recipes. I don't know about all of you, but I am always trying to think of new and exciting ways to spice up the daily grind. Lunch at the office can oftentimes become redundant and boring. I assure you that this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis is neither. It is quite unique in that the recipe calls for homemade arugula pesto rather than your typical basil pesto. With whole wheat pita or wraps, fresh rotisserie chicken, sweet cherry tomatoes and distinct arugula flavor this recipe hits the spot!

You Will Need:

• 2 whole-wheat pitas, halved and opened (I used wheat wraps instead)
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup Arugula Pesto (click for recipe)
• 2 store-bought rotisserie chicken breasts, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup arugula

Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and bake pitas or wraps for 5-7 minutes until warmed through
• In a large bowl combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and Arugula Pesto
• Stir in diced chicken
• To assemble pita pockets or wraps, fill each with the chicken mixture
• Top with tomatoes and 1/4 cup arugula and serve (I brought this to work today for lunch so I did all the above "assembling" at home this morning!)

Serves 4
Happy Feasting!




Arugula Pesto

Giada's Arugula Pesto recipe is a great change from your typical basil pesto. This is the perfect sauce to use on pizza, pasta or chicken. You can also add 1/4 cup of light mayonnaise to this recipe and make this a pesto mayo for your sandwich! (See Chicken and Arugula Pesto post)

 

You Will Need:

• 2 cups packed arugula
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated ground black pepper

 

Here We Go:

• Blend the arugula and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped
• With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until well blended
• Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan and salt and pepper

 

Happy Feasting!