Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

This meal turned out to be a meatless meal...much to the dismay of my husband (and I have to say I do enjoy my protein...so I have a feeling I will be hungry in a bit)...however, Ryan did eat a bowl and three quarters...as he puts it...

Anyway, I had to pull my food processor out of its' box and out of the garage for that matter. I'm not big into lots of food prep...but I do love a good pesto. So, rather than buy one and use one out of a jar...I thought I would take a stab at making my own.

I already know of some changes I would make...I would top the pasta with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella melted over the top...but more about that later...the original recipe was one I found (of course) on Pinterest: Annie's Eats

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Ingredients

*1/2 small onion
*1 c. fresh basil
*6 cloves garlic
*1/4 c. pine nuts (in hindsight, I would have toasted them prior to processing)
*1 c. roasted red peppers (mine were from Wegman's olive bar)
*shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
*1 tsp sea salt
*1 tsp pepper
*EVOO
(Next time I make this...cooked chicken, 1 c. diced tomatoes, 1 c. cubed mozzarella)
*penne pasta

Step by Step

1. In the food processor combine the following: garlic, onion, basil, pine nuts, peppers, cheese, salt and pepper.

2. Once those are all look like mush....add in the EVOO (about 1/4-1/2 cup).
3. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 c. of starchy water before draining.
4. Combine the pesto with the drained pasta. Add cup of starchy water. (and the cooked chicken)

5. Let the pasta sit for a few minutes. Then, top with tomatoes and mozzarella.

*Honestly, I think this would be a great topping for chicken alone. If you aren't in the mood for pasta, this on some chicken with a nice green veggie would also make for a great meal!

SOOOOO good! Creamy Chx and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

First off, I made this yesterday and I tried it when I first made it (and it was magnificent), but we didn't eat it for dinner until today...the taste was EVEN BETTER! I wanted to start with that so you could plan accordingly.

This recipe is adapted from: Six Sisters Stuff (great site by the way, check it out!)

Ingredients (my adaptations are in bold and underlined):
*1 lb bowtie pasta
*1 lb cooked chicken (I cooked mine on the stove top in chicken broth...makes it juicier)
*1 onion diced (I used 3/4 of an onion)
*4 cloves of garlic, minced
*(DID NOT USE) 4 Tablespoons butter
*1 cup half and half (I used fat free)
*1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. parsley, 1 tsp. sundried tomato seasoning  (didn't measure any of these, just shook what I thought would be good or just find some Italian seasonings instead and shake them in)
*12 oz jar roasted red peppers, sliced
*1 cup chicken broth (use left over to cook the chicken)
*1 cup mozzarella, shredded
*sauteed asparagus
*red pepper flakes (use if you want a little bit of extra spice)
*EVOO (extra virgin olive oil...that's for Ryan's dad) :)

(I eliminated the butter all together...didn't seem to make much difference...it's a personal preference)

Cook the pasta. Cook the chicken on the stove top in the extra chicken broth (which means set 1 cup of it aside)

While those cook, put some EVOO in a frying pan and heat on med heat meanwhile, dice the onion and mince the garlic.

Put in the frying pan and let that cook until soft the onion and garlic are soft. (I put the onion in first...it takes a bit longer and I didn't want to burn the garlic)

(If you are going to put asparagus in, you could also add that into the pan with the onion and garlic)

In another pan, whisk the half and half and the chicken broth over med/high heat. Watch it and DO NOT let it boil. After about 2 minutes, stir in your seasonings and the mozzarella. Lower the heat.

Add the chicken, roasted red pepper, garlic, onion and asparagus to the sauce. Stir and again, DO NOT LET IT BOIL.

Drain the pasta (keep about half a cup of the water from the noodles to the side). Pour the sauce over the pasta and pour the half cup of noodle water in too (this helps to make the sauce stick to the pasta!)
I shook a little bit of pepper on mine before serving...

Keep overnight for exceptional flavor or eat it now...either way, you can't go wrong.

close up view

 I know there were a lot of steps, but trust me, this recipe is worth it!

(yes, even you, Rachel, CAN make this)

And, it is a recipe that you could put different seasonings in or vegetables or even meat for that matter. You could use tilapia or shrimp. You could use spinach instead of asparagus.

This recipe has many different possibilities!