simple suppers: pesto pasta with mozzarella and roasted cherry tomatoes
/These days, I'm all about the quick dinner ideas. Back in the U.S., I used my crockpot often for its ease of use, but here, I don't have my beloved crockpot (or my stand mixer... or the Keurig... or my nice large refrigerator - there are a few things I'll be glad to get back home to). So, if a meal can be made in 30 minutes or less and still taste delicious, it gets a thumbs up in my book. I discovered this delicious creamy pesto pasta on Pinterest and decided to give it a chance. We all know Pinterest can be hit or miss, but Josh and I both agreed this was definitely a winner.
from Amy Johnson | She Wears Many Hats
Makes about 6 servings.
~ 1 cup of basil pesto (recipe here)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound favorite pasta, cooked
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pesto and mix into the oil. Be sure to stir often as the pesto warms.
When the pesto is warmed and just a little bubbly, slowly stream in the heavy cream as you stir. (You can always add more cream it you'd like.) Add some pasta water to thin out the sauce, if needed.
Turn down the heat and continue to stir to incorporate the cream and pesto. Salt and pepper to taste.
If you wanted to make this recipe even easier, you could just buy some good pre-made pesto in the grocery store. However, I found it to be pretty simple to make my own in my new, highly coveted Magic Bullet (or as they call it here, Mr. Magic). Oh, Germany.
I topped it with a few slices of fresh mozzarella, a little garnish of pine nuts, parmesan, and basil, and some roasted cherry tomatoes. To make those, just toss the cherry tomatoes in olive oil, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, and stick in a 400F (200C) oven for about 15 minutes or until the skins burst. They get juicy and sweet and add a great fresh flavor to this dish - don't skip them!
If I'd had it on hand, I probably would have reduced a bit of balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the top and gone full caprese with this bad boy. And if you didn't want to go meatless, you could always add grilled chicken for some protein, which I'm certain would be a delightful addition.
So there you have it! What are some of your favorite quick, go-to dinners?
In case you're looking for an easy dessert, too, check out the recipe for this Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble I made this weekend.
