Pesto Onion Prosciutto Pasta

"This goes together quickly, and it very tasty. It is a very flexible dish, it almost never turns out the same way twice in a row when I make it. The leftovers are fantastic. I use store bought pesto in the winter and from scratch during basil season. While the recipe calls for bacon, it is more for flavor than nutrition. You can leave it out and have a complete meal. The measurement on the cannellini beans is approximate, use a full can that is close to this size. If I have leftover chicken from another meal, it goes well in here. OAMC adaptation included."
 
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Ready In:
20mins
Ingredients:
15
Serves:
4-6

ingredients

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directions

  • Start the water boiling for the pasta.
  • Put the olive oil in a big deep skillet and turn it on high. If you haven't chopped the veggies yet, chop them and dump them in the skillet as you go.
  • Start sauteing the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and mushrooms over medium high heat. You want them to develop some golden color, not just get mushy cooked. I do this while I wait for the water to boil.
  • When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta. Then add the proscuitto or bacon to the skillet with the vegetables. Stir, and then turn the heat down to medium low.
  • If you are not using wine, you will need to reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water from the pasta right before the pasta is cooked.
  • When the pasta is cooked, drain. Return it to the cooking pot and cover. This will keep the pasta warm.
  • It's time to deglaze the pan with the vegetables. Use either the wine or the reserved pasta water. Stir and scrape to get all the good stuff off the bottom of the pot. You may need to turn the heat back up, you want the liquid to come to a boil and reduce slightly.
  • Combine the cooked vegetables and the pasta in the larger of your two cooking pots (or a big serving bowl). Add the cannellini beans, parmesean cheese and pesto. Stir. Taste. If you think you need to add salt, add it.
  • Move to a big serving bowl or individual plates. Garnish with basil, tomato, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. (This works great with a thick balsamic, it doesn't work well with the cheaper thin stuff).
  • Leftovers are fantastic heated or cold like a pasta salad.
  • OAMC adaptation: Cook the vegetable part as directed. Add the cannellini beans, pesto, and parmesean cheese. Then freeze. When you thaw you will need to cook/drain the pasta and then add in the HEATED vegetable pesto combo. I will make up a double batch of the veggies and freeze at least half.

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Reviews

  1. Great recipe with lots of room for variation(s). It matched well with Broiled Tomatoes (#206685) & Chicken Avocado (#396724). Rather than measure my pasta in cups & used 5 1/2 oz (4 servings) but only measurement for 2 servings of sauce. It was a perfect consistancy but it might be because we didn't add the beans. I was out of bell peppers (that's a 1st) so I sub'd in a few jalapendo peppers which added a nice flavour. Did everything else as written but didn't add the garnishes. Tasty recipe, thanks for sharing.
     
  2. Hey gourmetmama! I am so sorry, I made this recipe several months ago....I could have sworn that I reviewed it but I guess I put it off and forgot! Anyways, I love this pasta!!! The combination of the proscuitto and pesto made this a favorite in my house and I never would have thought to add cannelini beans with pasta but it was fabulous and gave a wonderful texture to the dish. I thought this was very colorful and has many different flavors that make you just want to keep on eating it! Thank you for sharing, I will be making this again! :)
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

my name is susan and i'm the proud momma of 2 boys. after 10 years as a project manager in high tech, i'm now a happy sahm. the boys are only 16 months apart, so i always have my hands full. oldest is "in process" of potty training and youngest is just now sleeping thru the night. <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/155733404-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/155732230-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/155732380-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/155732619-Th.jpg> my husband is Chef #553989. he is my partner in cooking, photographing, raising kids, and every other aspect of life. when hubby travels, i tend to rely on OAMC to make sure i eat well and feel taken care of. <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/13665820-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/297546-Th-2.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/291210-Th-2.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/142205931-Th.jpg> like most mothers of young children, i've seen my share of pb&j and processed toddler friendly foods. i'm slowly but surely returning to my pre-baby roots and beginning to take pride in what i cook again. the big difference is that now things tend to be faster, simpler, and healthier than 5 years ago. the common theme is that flavor and presentation still matter. quality ingredients and visually appealing food really do make a difference. my fall garden has tomatos (fingers crossed), radishes, broccoli, chineese cabbage, and onions. i have rosemary, sage, thyme, catnip, dill, basil, mint, and bay laurel growing in pots for my fresh herbs. zaar has helped me discover a new passion - food photography. the act of photographing my food has altered the way i cook. our food these days is filled with more color and variety, in part because fresh fruits and vegetables make for better photos. and our food is simpler. simple foods are easier to photograph. <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/189413108-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/188592339-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/184677008-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/183997798-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/178246284-Th.jpg> <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/178830143-Th.jpg> i've decided i'm not a fan of tea sandwiches and that i can't bake a decent biscuit. i could live the rest of my life without eating octopus again. i don't like to cook with canned soup, i think cool whip is an evil abomination, and i think the only purpose for iodized salt is to de-ice things. crisco has been banned from the house. i have a passion for fresh quality ingredients. i spend extra money for fresh herbs and spices because i believe i can taste the difference. i buy organic when i can, but don't sweat it when i can't. i use whole grains for my kids. i look forward to my occassional trips to central market and specs downtown. i still have a secret fondness for lucky charms and the insides of oreos. i love chocolate, the darker the better. i've never met a stinky cheese i didn't eat. i cook and eat globally... thai, sushi, curry, morroccan, brazilian, french, you name it. but i also cook and eat locally. i'm a texas girl, and that means i grill/bbq when hubby isn't around. i also love chili burgers, chili cheese dogs, frito pies, and a good cold shiner (beer). i could eat tex-mex every day. i'm a confirmed afficianado of cheap wine and the occassional cheap cigar. when i'm not momming, wife-ing, or cooking, i like to read sci fi, scrapbook, watch baseball, or collapse in a general state of exhaustion. but these days, just keeping up with all my zaar games keeps me busy. <img src=http://www.smugmug.com/photos/189989822-Th.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/200234980-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/202850878-Ti-1.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/203598844-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/204124662-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/204124664-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/204124666-Ti.jpg> <img src=http://sdb.smugmug.com/photos/204124687-S.jpg>
 
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