Pasta With Pesto Sauce and ???
"This is a great way to use up leftover beef or chicken, or can be made into a rather 'fancy' scratch dish. Try using a combination of meats, or leave out the meat completely for a very tasty side-dish. Marination time not included in prep time."
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 3⁄4 - 1 3/4-1 lb scallops or 3/4-1 lb lobster (or a combination, cooked or uncooked) (optional)
- 1 (6 -12 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms (or an equivalent amount of sliced and sauteed fresh mushrooms, about)
- 2 (5 ounce) containers purchased pesto sauce (or better yet, an equivalent amount of homemade pesto)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1⁄2 cup freshly grated stravecchio cheese or 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for passing
- garlic granules
- seasoning salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- dried basil, lightly crushed,to taste (optional)
- 12 -16 ounces uncooked dry short pasta (penne, farfalle, rotini, radiatori, shells, whatever, anything that will grab onto the sauce and hol)
- thinly sliced scallions (green onions) or chiffonade cut basil leaves (to garnish) (optional)
directions
- If using uncooked meat, season well as desired, allow to marinate for a couple of hours, cook, and set aside.
- If using cooked meat thaw or warm in the microwave, and set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine pesto with heavy cream and about 1/2 cup cheese, using more or less to obtain a fairly thick consistency.
- Season generously to taste with granulated garlic, seasoned salt, and pepper.
- If the pesto was a little short on flavor, feel free to add some lightly crushed dried basil to the sauce, and allow to set for at least 30 minutes for flavor to develop.
- Cook past in boiling salted water until al dente.
- While pasta cooks, reheat meat in microwave, and set aside.
- Microwave sauce on Defrost or Low for about 4-5 minutes, stirring well every 1 minute.
- If you heat it at higher power or forget to stir regularly, the sauce will break.
- If you get it too hot, it will also break.
- Stir hot meat into heated sauce, and toss well with drained pasta.
- If desired, garnish with thinly slice green onion and/or chiffonade cut basil leaves.
- Serve with additional cheese on the side.
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Reviews
-
Great recipe for what you'd have on hand. I used some shrimp, extra firm tofu, whole wheat pasta noodles and a little milk, four and pesto to make the sauce. Very tasty - thanks!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Toby Jermain
Houston, TX
I WAS retired oilfield trash since 1999, who has lived in Houston TX for the last 25 years, though I'm originally from California. I'm Texan by choice, not by chance! I am now working in Algeria 6 months a year, so I guess that gives new meaning to the term SEMI-retired. I grew up in restaurants and worked in them for 13 years while getting through high school and college, working as everything from dishwasher to chef, including just about everything in between. At odd intervals I also waited tables and tended bar, which gave me lots of incentive to stay in school and get my engineering degree.
During the 33 years since, I have only cooked for pleasure, and it HAS given me a great deal of pleasure. It's been my passion. I love to cook, actually more than I love to eat. I read cookbooks like most people read novels.
My wife and I both enjoy cooking, though she isn't quite as adventurous as I am. I keep pushing her in that direction, and she's slowly getting there.
We rarely go out to eat, because there are very few restaurants that can serve food as good as we can make at home. When we do go out, it's normally because we are having an emergency junk-food attack.
My pet food peeves are (I won't get into other areas): are people who post recipes that they have obviously NEVER fixed; obvious because the recipe can't be made because of bad instructions, or that are obvious because it tastes horrible. I also detest people who don't indicate that a recipe is untried, even when it is a good recipe. Caveat emptor!
