Pesto Pasta Salad

I think you all can guess by now that I love pasta with pesto.

There is just something about pesto that is making me obsessed right now. I don't know if it has to do with the color, the taste (duh), or maybe even it being the last weeks of summer (eek! I don't want the nice weather to go away-- let's hope CO actually has a fall this year instead of skipping right into winter). But I'm loving it. In June I made the Pesto Pasta with Haricot Vers and Tomatoes, and I haven't had it in anything but sandwiches and spaghetti squash since then. That means months without pesto pasta! I had to remedy that ail somehow.

A house without pesto is no house at all.

Ok, maybe that was a bit dramatic. But c'mon. Pesto is delicious. I like making homemade using broccoli and basil (subtract some sodium in your daily count, add some iron into the mix, plus create a twist with a beautiful texture that isn't watery like some store-bought versions), but if you are in a rush then you can grab some from the store (high quality, mind you. Not every pesto is created equal!). Then throw a ton of stuff together with some ravioli and make pasta salad!

Ok?

Ok.

Seriously, though. I have a really simple equation for this dish. Pesto+Pasta+Whatever Leftover Veggies/Cheese/Anything You Have = Pure Delish. (Yes, I did just say "Delish." Because apparently it's hip now. I'm behind the trend.) My roommate and I looked in our fridge, looked at each other, shrugged, and threw this recipe together. It is so customizable, and you can make it into your favorite dish ever by combining all your favorite veggies and add-ons.

Example: pesto+pasta+arugula+zucchini+olives+mozzarella+tomato+cilantro= bright and fresh
                Pesto+pasta+kale+Parmesan= simple, spiced and salty
                Pesto+pasta+ mushrooms+corn+chiptole= wild and savory, with a burn!
Etc, etc.

The dish below combines cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella, spring mix, and tofu. I personally prefer it chilled, but hot can also be done.

Pesto Pasta Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 9 oz fresh cheese tortellini
• 1/3c. pesto (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 2c. packed spring mix, roughly chopped
• 1/2c. diced tofu
• 1t thyme
• 1/2t pepper
• 1/4t salt (if using homemade)

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to manufacturer's instructions. Drain; let cool. Mix with pesto.
2. Add in rest of the ingredients and mix well to combine. Serve chilled.

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 703mg (less if you use homemade version)
Total Fat: 18g
     Saturated: 7g
     Mono: 3g
     Trans: 0g
Sugar: 4g
Protein: 23g
Calories: 498

Spicy Roasted Broccoli Salad

At 4 A.M. tomorrow morning, I will be heading up to Colorado via a 18 hour drive.

I am so excited! Well, not for the driving-- but the destination certainly is somewhere I have missed quite dearly. I've been packing and shopping the past few days, and trying to use up various food items that we've had around the house. That has led to some... interesting combinations (anyone up for some Green Tomato and Apple Pie? Actually much better than it sounds. Thanks AK and UJ!). Some have been good, others great: and today I'm sharing a great one.

It starts out with roasted broccoli which, let's be real, is always delicious. Add in some roma tomatoes, green onions, and rich avocado, and the meal is pretty much complete. I also had some peppers and basil, so I made a quick pesto using sunflower seeds. It adds some heat and stops the salad from being too dry. I know that a warm salad sounds kind of strange in summer, so I chilled the broccoli before adding in the other ingredients. However, this would also be a great fall recipe for a cool day.



Spicy Roasted Broccoli Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 4 cups broccoli crowns (if you like the stems, use those too)
• Cooking Spray
• 1/4t salt
• 1/4t pepper
• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1 whole lemon, juice and zest
• 3T extra virgin olive oil
• 2T sunflower seeds
• 2 serrano peppers, quartered (if you don't want it as spicy, remove the seeds)
• 2 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 medium avocado, cubed
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Chop crowns into bite-sized pieces, and put on a baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover with more cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes, turning broccoli halfway through. Remove from oven; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. While broccoli is baking, combine basil through peppers in a food processor until well-minced and pesto-like in consistency. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, tomatoes, avocado, and green onions. Toss with basil mixture to coat. Serve hot or cold.

Nutrition Information
Sodium: 122mg
Total Fat: 12g
   Saturated: 2g
   Monounsaturated: 7g
   Trans: 0g
Sugar: 4g
Protein: 3g
Calories: 152

Pesto Pasta with Haricot Vers and Tomatoes

It's been an awesome weekend so far. I'm still getting used to the summer heat of California after being in Colorado for so many months straight, and I'll admit that I've largely been staying inside as I adjust. Still, I've gotten the chance to go for a run and play some basketball (and by "play some basketball," I mean get the ball stuck on the roof of the local elementary school and have three kids retrieve it for us, like the old people we are). Yesterday, my Aunt and Uncle came over and we had a beautiful dinner of roasted vegetables with a zesty salad that my Aunt made.

 She also brought over some fresh basil which has been making my entire kitchen smell amazing (Thanks, Karen!). I couldn't resist making some Broccoli-Basil Pesto with it, simply because it is my favorite pesto of all time and it's ridiculously healthy. Tomatoes and green beans in the fridge? The muse hit, and I decided to throw everything together into a nice pasta dish.

Guys. This is so good. The tomatoes add some pop between each bite of tender green beans and hearty whole-wheat pasta. It's slightly peppery and has a touch of tang. I knew a girl Freshman year who always said, "A colorful plate is a healthy plate!" which certainly holds true for many things. The more color (aka variety) you have in a recipe as far as produce goes, the more changes you have for nutrients and health benefits. This pasta certainly holds up to that: you have the green from the iron-rich pasta, brown whole grains from the pasta, and bright red from the vitamin-rich cherry tomatoes. It's gorgeous. Another bonus: with the summer heat hitting, chilled pesto pasta is a simple, bright meal that won't make you sweat anymore than you already are (which, in California, is a lot). If you're in the mood for some hot pasta, that also works-- just don't do the last chilling step in the recipe.


Pesto Pasta with Haricot Vers and Tomatoes
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 16 oz whole wheat pasta of your choice (I used fettuccini)
• 8 oz haricot vers (green beans), ends trimmed, halved diagonally
• 1/2c. broccoli basil pesto
• 1 (10.5oz) container cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 1/4tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Boil water. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding in haricot vers when five minutes remain. Drain and let cool slightly.
2. Toss with pesto and tomatoes. Sprinkle with spices. If serving cold, refrigerate for at least four hours or as long as overnight. Lasts well for five days.

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 105mg
Total Fat: 5g 
      Saturated: 1g
      Mono: 2g
      Trans: 0g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 8g
Cal: 257

Broccoli-Basil Pesto

To start off my blog, I really want to focus on some basic ingredients that I call “building blocks.” These are things that a lot of people buy instead of hand-make, because they don’t realize how easy it is to use fresh ingredients to create the same product in a higher quality and with less added sodium, sugar, etc. When you have the option to make it by hand or buy it, I like to go with the former. It creates a mindful cooking experience and has all the benefits mentioned above.

Confession time: I personally love the taste of store-bought pesto, but I hate all the oil and the sodium. So, I became determined to create a pesto recipe that had all the flavor with some healthy benefits. This is a quick, simple, and healthy pesto that is packed with the fresh and bright flavors of summer.

Lemon juice and salty Parmesan bring in a hint of complexity. Also, by using steamed broccoli and mixing that in with the basil, there are health pros (such as vitamins C and A, fiber, and calcium) that are added while giving the pesto body and flavor.

Broccoli-Basil Pesto

Makes about 1c.       Serving Size: 2tbl

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2c. basil
• 1c. broccoli florets, steamed, cut into chunks
• 1 oz (about 1/4c) grated Parmesan
• 2tbl extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbl to 1/4c. no salt added vegetable broth (depends on consistency desired)
• 2tbl lemon juice
• 1tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring about 1/2c. of water to a boil. Once boiling, place the garlic in the water and cook for 2-3 minutes (this makes the flavor less intense). Remove garlic from the water, and let sit for about 3 minutes. Then, grate it like you would grate cheese.
2. In a food processor, pulse the grated garlic, basil, broccoli, and Parmesan. Once broken up, slowly pour in the olive oil, broth, and lemon juice with the processor on until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper, and pulse to incorporate.
3. Put over anything you need pesto for, and enjoy the flavor and health benefits!