Pasta, Spinach, Peas & Pesto

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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.

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