Pasta, Spinach, Peas & Pesto

By -
I'm trying to get creative with my cooking by using what I have on hand and hoping to make a good combination.  After many google searches, I came up with the following by mixing a few recipes.  It turned out pretty well I think and Jeff would give it 7.7 out of 10.  And Rees ate tons, which made me happy knowing he was getting in some veggies.

Let me apologize now, I don't actually have a recipe.  Just general steps.  I know that just doesn't fly for some, but I want to log this so I remember it as an option next time I'm trying to get rid of spinach and peas.


  

Pasta, Spinach, Peas and Pesto


1 box of pasta, I used macaroni

4 - 6 cups of fresh spinach
Half a package of frozen peas
2 spoons full of prepared pesto (maybe more, you'll want to taste and see)
1/2 tsp salt

2-3 T butter
2 T flour
2 gloves of garlic, minced
Maybe a couple of cups of cream or milk
Dash of cayenne pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
 
Cook pasta according to package directions.  (I often slightly undercook pasta if I'm going to bake it later in the oven)  Drain & rinse & set aside.

Blend spinach, frozen peas, salt & prepared pesto in food processor until you no longer have large leaves of spinach.  Set aside.

Melt butter in a pan & add minced garlic.  Cook for a couple of minutes.  Add flour and cook until golden.  Slowly add milk (or if you want it creamy, use some cream) and create a nice sauce. Add a dash of cayenne and nutmeg.  Either mix parmesan into sauce, or save it for later.  Taste sauce and add salt/pepper/other spices if need be.

Mix spinach puree with white sauce.  Mix pasta into sauce. Don't add all the pasta at once, add it until you think you have the right ratio of sauce to pasta.  If you have leftover plain pasta, put it in the fridge and use it for lunch tomorrow or something.   If you haven't used the parmesan yet, mix it in now, or sprinkle it on top after you put the pasta into a glass baking dish.  After you have the pasta in a baking dish, bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so.

Comments

Post a Comment

what do you think?

Popular posts from this blog

Vegetarian Lasagna - Moosewood

By -
Image
Lighter Lasagne, from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites This lasagne is so rich with vegetables, herbs, and wine that you'll never mis the extra cheese and fat that we're accustomed to finding in standard recipes. Serves 6-8, preparation time 40 minutes, baking time 60-70 minutes. 2 cups cubed zucchini 1 cup cubed bell peppers 1 cup chopped tomatoes 4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 12 ounces) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup dry red wine 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil 10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese 1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 recipe Tomato Wine sauce (page 350) or 3 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce 1 pound uncooked lasagne noodles (see Note, page 216) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, and wine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender and...
Read more

Lentil Vegetable Soup

By -
Image
Josh got me to try some lentil soup at Corner Bakery. I was nervous, because I have not liked lentils in the past, but in the past few years I have grown to love many things I hadn't previously. And I liked it! So I immediately went on the hunt for a "copy cat" recipe, and though I have no idea if this is in fact the same, all three of us enjoyed it!  Lentil Vegetable Soup 2/3 c green lentils 1/3 c orange lentils (you can really use whatever lentils you wants) 1 lg onion, roughly chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 lg tomato, chopped 1-2 carrots, diced 1/2 c mushrooms 1/2 bunch spinach or 2-3 big leaves of kale, chopped fine 1/4 c corn 2-4 c vegetable/chicken broth S&P to taste Combine and wash all lentils and set aside. In a pot, heat some olive oil and saute onions, carrots, and garlic till onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, and some salt. Saute a few minutes until they get soft, then add the tomatoes. Cover and let t...
Read more

Easy Shepherd's Pie

By -
Image
1 lb. ground beef 2 cups hot mashed potatoes 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 1 cup beef gravy PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Brown meat in large skillet. Meanwhile, mix potatoes, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the garlic until well blended. DRAIN meat. Return to skillet; stir in vegetables and gravy. Spoon into 9-inch square baking dish; cover with potatoes and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. BAKE 20 min. or until heated through. Many of you know Jon and I are picky eaters. This is one recipe we came across in the Krafts Food magazine when we were searching for meals we'd both like. I have never had Shepherd's Pie before, but I liked it. I especially like that it is pretty quick and easy. It tastes good as leftovers too. We haven't mixed the cheese into the potatoes because we didn't really feel like it or added garlic just because we didn't have any, but I'm sure it'd still taste good.
Read more