SubscribeThe magic of pasta
I cooked a lot over the weekend and I realized that pasta has become a main staple in my family’s diets. Part of that is a good thing, because not only do my pickiest eaters love pasta but it’s also cheap and fills all of us up quickly. While I appreciate those features of pasta, I always make sure that I load up my creations with fresh vegetables, garlic and olive oil.
My Pesto Pasta is really simple to make, and it’s a real filler for vegetarians. When I’m making a small amount, and don’t feel like hauling out the food processor to make fresh pesto, I buy a good brand of pesto sauce from Weavers’ Way Co-op, which recently opened up a third state-of-the-art market near me. (Photo above shows fresh basil and baby spinach from photographer satakiele.)
Pesto is basically made from garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese and pine nuts, and blended in the food processor. Pesto can be used on any type of pasta, but I also like to serve it with rice, chicken or slices of mozzarella cheese with vine-ripe tomato slices.
Bowtie Pasta with Pesto for 6
Ingredients
One bag of bowtie pasta cooked al dente (slightly firm)
½ cup of fresh pesto sauce
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, washed and halved
½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
6 cups of boiling water
Directions
Bring water to a rapid boil and cook pasta for 6-8 minutes (until al dente).
Turn off heat and add spinach to wilt it.
Drain pasta while it’s still hot, and add pesto and tomatoes.
Garnish with parmesan cheese.
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As the mother of five and a journalist, I've always encouraged people to empower themselves with information on healthy foods and lifestyles. Nurturing our children with healthy food is one of the most important jobs we have, yet as families have become busier or drifted apart, meal times have been sacrificed.
