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: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3⁄4-1  lb  bite-size pieces  steak or 3⁄4-1  lb  pork loin or 3⁄4-1  lb chicken or 3⁄4-1  lb shrimp or 3⁄4-1  lb  crab or 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

1. If using uncooked meat, season well as desired, allow to marinate for a couple of hours, cook, and set aside.
2. If using cooked meat thaw or warm in the microwave, and set aside.
3. 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.
4. Season generously to taste with granulated garlic, seasoned salt, and pepper.
5. 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.
6. Cook past in boiling salted water until al dente.
7. While pasta cooks, reheat meat in microwave, and set aside.
8. Microwave sauce on Defrost or Low for about 4-5 minutes, stirring well every 1 minute.
9. If you heat it at higher power or forget to stir regularly, the sauce will break.
10. If you get it too hot, it will also break.
11. Stir hot meat into heated sauce, and toss well with drained pasta.
12. If desired, garnish with thinly slice green onion and/or chiffonade cut basil leaves.
13. Serve with additional cheese on the side.