It’s been too long since we’ve had a recipe post! I saw this cute meal over at xoJane for Farfalle & Parmesan and knew I had to modify it. I did and it was yummy. We’re doing a Recipe Remix to make it more filling and nutritious.
- 1 and a half cups cooked pasta: farfalle, penne, linguine
- 6-9 mushrooms: baby bella, cremini, etc. by preference
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped (or more to taste)
- 1 Tbsp each extra-virgin olive oil and butter to drizzle
- basil, oregano, cilantro or rosemary – fresh if you have it
- shaved parmesan or goat cheese to taste
- add a protein: organic tofu or meat (grilled chicken)
- add greens: swiss chard, kale, spinach, asparagus, peas or edamame
- add rainbow peppers for a splash of color
- sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Wash and slice mushrooms and peppers. Frozen vegetables work very well for this type of meal and is budget-friendly. You can add them to the pot half-way through your pasta cooking. Drain in a colander, mixing a few spoonfuls of hot pasta water with the olive oil/butter combo as a light broth to coat.
Options: Substitute regular pasta for whole wheat or spinach pasta. Or switch it out entirely for quinoa. You can also add cream of mushroom soup and 2% Greek yogurt to make a sauce reduction for a heartier dinner if serving as a main dish. I also like adding a little garlic powder and perhaps black olives, but this comes down to preferences. Add more pasta and you can use the leftovers for lunch with a side salad. ENJOY!
Have to add Chef Chloe's avocado pesto. I've substituted walnuts for pine nuts. You can also make this in the blender if you don't have a food processor or don't feel like messing with it. Just crush the notes first and tear the basil leaves.
Ingredients
1 pound linguine
1 bunch fresh basil, reserve some leaves for garnish
½ cup pine nuts
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
½ cup olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or sliced sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
Procedure
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the pesto by combining basil, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Toss pasta with pesto. For an extra touch of color and flavor, top pasta with cherry or sun-dried tomatoes. Divide pasta among serving bowls and garnish each serving with a basil leaf.
chefchloe.com/entrees/avocado-pesto-pasta.htm
Thanks for the suggestion. The only reason why I didn’t advocate nuts is keeping an eye on the caloric intake. Also so many people have allergies these days.
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