Pesto And Penne With Tomatoes And Artichoke Hearts Recipes

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to pot.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in artichokes and cook until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add olives and half of the tomatoes; cook until tomatoes start to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pasta to skillet. Stir in remaining tomatoes, oil, cheese, and basil. Thin with reserved pasta water if necessary to coat the spaghetti. Serve with additional cheese.

Steps:

• 1. Heat 3 tbsp. reserved oil/marinade from artichoke hearts in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender.
• 2. Add tomatoes with juice, drained artichoke hearts and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
• 3. Add pesto and simmer 1 minute. Mix in cooked pasta and 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• 4. Transfer to a large bowl, garnish with fresh basil leaves and additional parmesan cheese.

Steps:

• Meanwhile, pluck the basil leaves from the stems (you should have about 2 cups leaves). Wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels. Smash and peel the garlic.
• Put the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the cheese. Season with the salt and some pepper.
• Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously. Add the penne and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and save about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the bowl. Use tongs and toss with enough of the cooking water so the pesto coats the pasta evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
• Upgrades: a. Make the pesto creamy by adding 1/4 cup ricotta cheese when processing the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. This is great with tortellini or ravioli. b. Top dressed pesto pasta with 1/2 pound diced large or halved small fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), 3 medium tomatoes cut in large chunks, and 1/2 cup pitted black olives, (we like kalamata for this), roughly chopped. c. Add cooked 1 to 2 cups chicken or shrimp.
• Twists on Pesto: In place of basil, try the following combination: 1 cup parsley, 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves. Substitute walnuts for the pine nuts

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, whisk the pesto mix, milk and oil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. , Add chicken; heat through. Drain pasta. Add to the sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken and garlic until chicken is almost cooked. Reduce heat and stir in salt, pepper, cream, pesto and Parmesan cheese. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Stir in cooked pasta.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425* F. Stretch dough over a 12-inch greased pizza pan. Brush with olive oil and scatter garlic slices evenly over crust. Place in oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown.
• Meanwhile, place sun-dried tomatoes in a heat-resistant, non-reactive bowl (such as Pyrex). Pour enough simmering water over to completely cover tomatoes. Let soak about 5-10 minutes or until tender; drain liquid and slice into strips.
• When crust is ready, spread sauce over garlic slices (try not to shift them around any more than can be helped). Top with about 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, or to taste. Scatter strips of sun-dried tomatoes evenly over cheese. Place artichoke heart quarters evenly across pizza, then top with remaining mozzarella and the parmesan, if using.
• Return to oven and bake at 425* F for about 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and turning golden brown in spots.
• Remove from oven and allow to rest 3-4 minutes to set up. Cut into slices.
• Top pizza slices with dollops of pesto and serve.

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil reserved from artichokes in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and artichokes. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Add pesto; simmer 1 minute longer. Mix in pasta and 1/3 cup cheese. Season pasta with salt and pepper.Transfer pasta to large bowl. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.