Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

This recipe started with an experiment. One day this summer, I had a ton of tomatoes that had ripened at the same time and needed to do something with them fast. Canning wasn’t a timely option, so I decided to chop them up (no peeling) and freeze them. This morning, I sautéed onions and garlic and then added the frozen tomatoes to make a quick marinara sauce. A friend had given me a few green tomatoes this weekend, and I decided to chop and stir them in—they brighten the flavors of the frozen tomatoes. A quick puree with the immersion blender got rid of the pesky peels.

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Basil
Oregana
Crushed red pepper
Fennel seeds
1 gal. chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil for 10 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in salt and next 5 ingredients, and cook 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Use immersion blender to puree until smooth.  Stir in balsamic vinegar. Taste and add more seasonings, if necessary.

Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

Definitely try this recipe—even if you think it sounds weird! The pumpkin puree adds heft to the ricotta mixture, and you won’t miss the meat! This recipe has more pumpkin than the original. I served this at our church potluck today to rave reviews.
1 (12-oz.) box jumbo pasta shells
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 (15-oz.) cans pure pumpkin (about 1 1/2 cups pumpkin)
2 cups (16-oz.) ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper
1 (25-oz.) jar marinara sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook shells according to package directions. Drain and allow to cool.
2. Combine olive oil, pumpkin, and next 7 ingredients. 

3. Pour marinara sauce into bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Stuff shells with pumpkin mixture, and arrange on top of sauce in dish. Sprinkle stuffed shells with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas With Grilled Chicken

1 1/2 lb. bowtie pasta
1 1/2 cups pesto
Zest and juice from 2 lemons
3/4 mayonnaise (I use a little less than this.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup pinenuts, toasted

1 lb. chicken, grilled and cut into chunks

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Combine pesto, lemon zest and juice, and next 4 ingredients. Toss with pasta and grilled chicken. Serve at room temperature, or chill until ready to serve.

Recipe Rewind: Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese

2 bacon slices, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
Salt and pepper
8 oz. cooked pasta

Homemade breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1. Cook bacon until crisp; drain. Wipe pan clean, and melt butter. Sprinkle in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking often, until mixture is thickened. Stir in cheeses, nutmeg, and pecans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pasta and cooked bacon. Pour mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over top, and drizzle with melted butter.
2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Fried Ravioli With Simple Tomato Sauce

Serve with Caprese salad and bread.

1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
Salt and pepper
1 package frozen cheese ravioli
Canola oil

1. Sauté onion in hot oil, stirring often, 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 more minute. Stir in balsamic vinegar and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Use immersion blender to puree mixture until smooth. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

2. Meanwhile, pour 1 inch canola oil into bottom of Dutch oven. Heat oil, and fry ravioli, in batches, until they begin to turn golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with tomato sauce.

Updated Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese

This is a variation on our favorite pasta dish. Pecans may sound like a strange addition, but they balance the richness of the blue cheese and bacon. Absolutely delicious!
4 bacon slices, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
8 oz. cooked pasta

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

1. Cook bacon until crisp; drain. Wipe pan clean, and melt butter. Sprinkle in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking often, until mixture is thickened. Stir in cheeses and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pasta and bacon. Pour mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle chopped pecans over top.
2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lemony Chicken Florentine Pasta

Andy loves this pasta recipe, but because it has so much cream, it’s too rich to have often. (Don’t get me wrong—it positively delicious and worth the fat on occasion!) So when I saw a recipe for chicken florentine pasta on The Pioneer Woman’s blog, I had to try it. The recipe that follows is my version. Because the ingredients are so similar to Andy’s favorite pasta, I decided to add in some lemon juice and zest. The result is fantastic, and Andy declared that the taste is comparable to his fave. Enjoy!

Lemony Chicken Florentine Pasta

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 (6-oz.) bag baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Zest and juice from 1 to 2 lemons (depends on size)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

12 oz. pasta, cooked (I used radiatore, but any type will work.)


1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until cooked through and browned. Remove from pan.

2. Add garlic to pan, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine and next 2 ingredients. Season with salt and peppers; stir in lemon zest and juice. Return chicken to the pan. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Toss with pasta, and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Italian Sausage-Vegetable Lasagna

Andy finds lasagna with vegetables to be suspicious—to him, it’s not lasagna if veggies are involved. So to get around his hang-up, I decided to make an eggplant-and-squash lasagna that had Italian sausage in it as well. He liked the flavors a lot (and kindly picked out the eggplant with no fuss). This was a great use of my farmers market basket produce.


Italian Sausage-Vegetable Lasagna
1 eggplant, cut into slices
Salt
1 zucchini, cut into length-wise slices
1 yellow squash, cut into length-wise slices
Olive oil
Pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans tomatoes
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 (15-oz.) container part-skim ricotta
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 (16-oz.) bag egg noodles, cooked (You can substitute lasagna noodles, if you prefer.)
1 (16-oz.) bag shredded Italian-style cheese blend

1. Place eggplant slices on paper towels, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes; rinse eggplant slices, and pat dry. Place eggplant, zucchini, and squash slices on a grill pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until veggies begin to soften.
2. Sauté onion and sausage in hot oil, cooking until sausage is browned and crumbled (about 10 minutes). Stir in garlic, and cook 1 more minute. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients, and cook 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir together ricotta and next 2 ingredients; season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread some of tomato mixture in bottom of a baking dish; top with half of noodles. Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layers once. Sprinkle top with shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Baked Ziti With Spinach

I’m always looking for ways to get more veggies into our diet, and this dish is deceptively packed with them. The trick I use with most Italian-style recipes is to finely chop vegetables with my food processor and then sauté them with the meat. An almost effortless way to get in your five a day! To boost the nutritional value even more, I added fresh spinach. This dish isn’t low fat by any means, but it really is a good balance. Enjoy!

Baked Ziti With Spinach
1 onion, cut into chunks
3 carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery ribs, cut into chunks
1 zucchini, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 lb. fresh Italian sausage, casings removed
2 (15-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 (6-oz.) bag baby spinach
12 oz. ziti, cooked
1 (15-oz.) part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

1. Sauté onion and next 4 ingredients in hot oil 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in ground beef and sausage. Cook, stirring often, until meat is cooked and crumbled. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in spinach, and cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ziti.
2. Pour half of meat mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Spread ricotta and 1/2 cup cheese over top of meat mixture. Pour the remaining meat mixture over ricotta mixture. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Cover with foil.
3. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Blue Cheese-and-Bacon Mac and Cheese

This recipe was inspired by the Barefoot Contessa. I mean, how could you go wrong with this flavor combination? Not at our house! The original recipe supposedly serves two, but four is a more accurate number. Instead of expensive Gruyere cheese, I used mild, creamy Havarti. The bacon and blue cheese worked beautifully together. A simple tomato salad was the perfect partner. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese-and-Bacon Mac and Cheese
4 bacon slices, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz. havarti, shredded
2 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper

6 oz. cooked pasta

Fresh breadcrumbs

1. Cook bacon until crisp; drain. Wipe pan clean, and melt butter. Sprinkle in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking often, until mixture is thickened. Stir in cheeses and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pasta and bacon. Pour mixture into a baking dish. Spread breadcrumbs on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil or melted butter.
2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta With Chicken and Artichoke Hearts

Sun-dried tomato pesto is one of my favorite staple ingredients (you find it by the basil pesto at the grocery store). Most often, Andy and I use it instead of tomato sauce on pizza; the dried tomato flavor is more intense. Tonight I decided to toss it with pasta. Enjoy!




Sun-dried Tomato Pasta With Chicken and Artichoke Hearts
8 oz. pasta, cooked
1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1 jar sun-dried tomato pesto
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 cups chopped grilled chicken
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Toss pasta with reserved cooking water and pesto. Stir in artichoke hearts and chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with cheese.

Pasta With Bacon and Roasted Vegetables

This recipe is based on one in the October issue of Martha Stewart Living that I modified a bit. (Sorry, I forgot to take a photo!) The combination of ingredients is unusual, but it works well. The sweetness of the potatoes pairs well with the caramelized bitterness of the cauliflower and smokiness of the bacon. Andy was skeptical but gave it his seal of approval after trying it. Enjoy!

Pasta With Bacon and Roasted Vegetables
Olive oil
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
Salt and pepper
8 ounces orecchiette pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven in hot oil until done; drain on paper towels, reserving drippings.
2. Toss sweet potato and next 3 ingredients in bacon drippings; season with salt and pepper. Place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender and caramelized.
4. Meanwhile, cook orecchiette according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; drain pasta.
5. Combine pasta, veggie mixture, and cooking liquid in Dutch oven. Stir in cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

Menu 32: Roasted Tomato Sauce With Meatballs

Tonight some new friends came over for dinner. We had Roasted Tomato Sauce With Meatballs over egg noodles, roasted broccoli, and garlic bread. The tomato sauce cooks in the oven, so allow extra time. The great thing about this method is how it intensifies the tomato flavor. Our friends have children, so pasta seemed like a safe option. If you haven’t tried broccoli cooked this way, you must—it’s my new favorite way to eat it. Enjoy!

Weeknight Bolognese

This recipe is from Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?, but I made a couple of changes (surprise, surprise!). I added part of an onion and some bell pepper to the meat as it was sautéing. Traditional bolognese takes a long time to cook. This recipe is ready in about 30 minutes. It gets its rich flavor from red wine and tomato paste, which intensify the crushed tomatoes. My in-laws and Andy gave it two thumbs up. Enjoy!

Weeknight Bolognese
Half of a small onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 lb. ground sirloin

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cup red wine
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup cream
3/4 lb. medium shell pasta, cooked

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook onion and next 2 ingredients in hot oil until meat is browned and crumbles. Add in garlic, oregano, and next 4 ingredients. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Add in nutmeg and next 2 ingredients. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and hot cooked pasta.

Recipe Rewind: Creamy Chicken and Noodles

I had actually forgotten about this dish until searching on the blog for a simple recipe to make for a friend. In the original post, the method calls for baking the casserole to thoroughly heat it. However, it works very well to just heat the mixture through on the stovetop and you’ll only mess up one pan. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken and Noodles
1 (16-oz.) package egg noodles
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (0.7-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix
3 cups whipping cream
1 (10-oz.) bag frozen broccoli florets
Salt and pepper to tasteFreshly grated Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, or Italian cheese blend

1. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Stir in chicken, next 4 ingredients, salt and pepper to taste, and desired amount of cheese (I use 1/2 to 1 cup, depending on the type of cheese.) Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated.

Sausage-and-Spinach Manicotti

I have posted this recipe before, but it's worth doing again. The dish comes together in just a few minutes and calls for stuffing uncooked manicotti. The work is done during the hour-long baking time. I like it with just spinach, but Andy prefers the sausage-spinach combination. I use turkey Italian sausage, which you can find next to the pork chops at Publix, to make it leaner. (WW points for 2 manicotti: 10) Enjoy!

Sausage-and-Spinach Manicotti

3 links (about 3/4 lb.) Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 (9-oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained

1 (15-oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. fennel seeds

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 egg

1 box manicotti shells

1 (26-oz.) jar pasta sauce

1/2 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese, divided

1. Cook sausage in a skillet until meat crumbles and is done. Combine sausage, spinach, and ricotta. Stir in next 6 ingredients. Use your hands to stuff manicotti shells with spinach mixture. Arrange manicotti in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

2. Pour pasta sauce over manicotti. Fill the jar half full with water; shake to incorporate remaining pasta sauce in jar. Pour water mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil.

3. Bake at 375° for 1 hour.

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Pasta Sauce

I had a bunch of veggies left from my market basket that needed to be used, so pasta sauce seemed the perfect solution. In addition to the vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, onion, garlic, carrots, bell pepper), I made meatballs out of a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. Because the sauce was so thick, I decided to fry frozen tortellini like I did here. Andy and his dad really liked this meal! I added three (8-oz.) cans of tomato juice (leftover from another recipe) to the leftovers and am planning to serve the new mixture as Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Soup later in the week. I'll report back on what we think. Enjoy!

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Pasta Sauce
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 eggplant, cut into cubes
2 zucchini, cut into cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (28-oz.) can tomato puree
1 (8-oz.) can tomato juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
Meatballs
Fried tortellini
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Sauté onions and carrots in hot oil 5 minutes. Add in eggplant and next 2 ingredients, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Add in crushed red pepper and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the tomato mixture. Add in browned meatballs, and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Serve over fried tortellini. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Meatballs:
2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. Italian breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
Olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients. Shape mixture into balls, and cook in hot oil in a skillet until browned on all sides.

Bolognese Lasagna

Saturday morning on the Food Network, Tyler Florence made "the ultimate lasagna," and I decided to try it. Andy loves Italian food. Usually I make his mom's recipe, but I love to try new approaches. The first change I made was to half most of the ingredients (four pounds of meat seemed a bit much). According to the original recipe, this dish serves eight, but I beg to differ. Even after halving the ingredients, I was still able to make two 13- x 9-inch pans. In a word—plenty! I gave one pan to a friend and baked the second for Andy, his dad, and I to eat tonight. Then I froze the rest (enough for three more meals). The base for the lasagna is bolognese sauce, a meat sauce that starts with a base of pureed vegetables. Also, bolognese isn't very tomato-y. I found this dish to be not as heavy as traditional lasagna. The secret ingredient is cinnamon—you can't taste it per se, but it adds a nice flavor note. Enjoy!

Bolognese Lasagna
1 (16-oz.) box lasagna noodles
1 onion, cut into quarters
2 garlic cloves
3 carrots, cut into pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into pieces
Leaves from 1 stem of fresh basil
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
Olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 Tbsp. half-and-half
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 (15-oz.) containers ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (8-oz.) package finely shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until pliable but not cooked through; drain and set aside.
2. Place onions and next 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade. Pulse to finely chop vegetable mixture.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add ground beef, sausage, and vegetable mixture to pan; add salt and pepper. Sauté until meat is browned and crumbly and vegetables are tender. Stir in flour, red wine, and next 3 ingredients; cook until mixture thickens. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, and eggs in a bowl; stir in salt and pepper to taste.
5. Place a small amount of sauce in bottom of two 13- x 9-inch pans. Top with four noodles in each pan; spread some of ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with some of the sauce, and then add four more noodles to each. Add additional ricotta and sauce. Top with a third layer of noodles. Spread with remaining sauce, and top with shredded cheese.
6. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Roasted Tomato Sauce and Meatballs, take 2

Our niece LB helped me make dinner tonight. We had a quick version of Roasted Tomato Sauce. LB's job was to help roll the meatballs. When I asked her to help, she jumped at the chance by saying "I can do that—I'm really good at rolling Play-Doh balls!" These meatballs are a combination of ground round and Italian sausage. LB and AC wouldn't actually eat the sauce and meatballs—they had buttered noodles. However, Andy, Mel, and I liked the sauce. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Sauce and Meatballs
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 fresh oregano sprigs
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 (28-oz.) cans whole tomatoes
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
Meatballs

1. Line a 13- x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil. Place onion and garlic in pan; drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir in vinegar and brown sugar. Add in fresh herbs. Bake for 15 more minutes. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Return to oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir to break up whole tomatoes. Return to oven, and bake for 15 more minutes. Add meatballs to sauce, and serve over hot cooked pasta.

Meatballs:
1/2 lb. ground round
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 egg
1/4 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs

1. Combine all ingredients. Shape mixture into balls. Place meatballs on lightly greased broiler pan.
2. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until done.

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

This recipe is from our friend Paige who got it from a Barefoot Contessa cookbook. It comes together in a snap. The dish tastes great alone but would also be a nice complement to grilled shrimp, fish, or chicken. I reduced the amount of olive oil the original recipe calls for because the pesto has so much oil in it. Also, the original calls for 1 oz. of frozen spinach, but I omitted it because it's such a small amount that you can't taste it. Warning: This is very garlicky, so consider serving it with mint iced tea. This is delicious served with slice grilled chicken. Enjoy!

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
1 1/2 lb. bowtie (farfalle) pasta
1 1/2 cups pesto (I used Classico brand.)
Zest and juice from 2 lemons
1 1/4 mayonnaise (I use a little less than this.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup pinenuts, toasted

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Combine pesto, lemon zest and juice, and next 4 ingredients. Toss with pasta. Serve at room temperature, or chill until ready to serve.