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« « Happy (Belated) Birthday, Eric Carle!
2 Going on 13 » »

Quick & Easy Pesto Primavera

June 30, 2009

I prefer to use fresh and homemade ingredients. They taste better, they’re healthier, and they’re free from nasty preservatives.

Except most of the time sometimes, I don’t have the time to make all of the parts from scratch before I make dinner. I would like to, but it’s not realistic. For that reason, I keep some premade, commercial products in the pantry to use in a pinch.

Yesterday was one of those in a pinch days. I had a doctor’s appointment (still treating my back injury from the car crash on May 1), so we didn’t get home until almost 6 pm. Joe was working overtime, so he wasn’t home, either. Grace and I made dinner, but we got a very late start.

For these occasions, our pantry holds an assortment of commercial pasta (Ronzoni Healthy Harvest or Barilla Pasta Plus because they’re healthier than the regular stuff), our homemade canned tomato sauce, and commercial sauces (alfredo, cheese, and a refrigerated pesto).

Because we used a box of pasta and the refrigerated pesto, we threw this primavera together in under a half hour. It would have been less if Grace hadn’t tossed the snow peas so vigorously, but she got a little carried away with the washing. We had to collect them from all over the kitchen floor.

Pesto Primavera

  • 1 box of spaghetti, or whatever pasta you prefer
  • olive oil
  • 2 zucchini squash
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 pint of fresh snow peas
  • 2 garlic scapes (chopped) or 1 garlic clove (pressed)
  • 3-5 spring onions, chopped
  • 1/2 to 1 cup prepared pesto – if you made pesto ahead of time and froze it, you could use your own
  • Feta cheese
  1. Prepare the veggies first. Slice the squash into rounds, and cut the rounds in half if desired. Chop the onion, and cut off the ends of the peas, removing the string. Chop the spring onions and the garlic scapes, if you’re using them. If you’re using a clove, you can press it directly into the pasta pan.
  2. Prepare pasta according to package directions, but subtract 2 minutes from the cooking time.
  3. In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add in the peas and onions first and let them cook for a few minutes. Add in the squash and cook until veggies just begin to soften.
  4. When draining pasta, try to leave a couple of cups of cooking water in the pan. Dump the pasta back into the water in the pan and return it to the stove over medium heat. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and stir the pasta to distribute it throughout.
  5. Transfer the cooked veggies to the pasta pot. Add the spring onions and garlic or garlic scapes and stir through.
  6. The pesto was a little tricky. I have a very large jar of refrigerated pesto from Sam’s Club, and I wasn’t sure how much to use. I added it a few heaping spoonfuls at a time and mixed it through the pan. I kept adding until the pasta was green enough for my taste. I think I added a little less than a cup of pesto all together.
  7. Just before serving, sprinkle with feta cheese. I love feta, so when I sprinkle my spaghetti with it, I probably use a 1/2 cup.

Happily submitted to Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Kitchen Tip Tuesday, Tuesday Toot, Tasty Tuesday, Tackle It Tuesday, Talk About Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, and Works for Me Wednesday

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  • Shannanb aka Mommy Bits said:

    MMMM. Pesto is my favorite. This sounds great. Pesto – since you have a jar is also great as a dipping sauce for fresh warm bread!

    Shannanb aka Mommy Bits’s last blog post..Our New Baby Has Four Legs

    # 30 June 2009 at 1:53 pm
  • Tara (author) said:

    Shannan – I never thought of that, but it would be wonderful! I’ll have to make a loaf so that I can try it. :) I wonder if it’s as good as homemade apple butter…

    # 30 June 2009 at 2:22 pm
  • Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam said:

    this does sound wonderful…I have been wanting to actually make my own pasta. I bought the maker years ago and it sits…in the box…in my cabinet. ..never opened:)

    Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s last blog post..4th of July Recipe Ideas

    # 30 June 2009 at 6:31 pm
  • Brenda said:

    Looks really good. I love feta cheese too.

    Brenda’s last blog post..Brined BBQ Chicken for TMTT

    # 30 June 2009 at 9:13 pm
  • Cass @ That Old House said:

    this looks delicious! Put pesto and pasta together, and I am there. Do you really have a recipe for apple butter????

    Ummm… apple butter….

    Cass

    Cass @ That Old House’s last blog post..Late to the Gate, with Three Or More and Tasty Tuesday!

    # 30 June 2009 at 9:54 pm
  • Tara (author) said:

    Cass – Why, yes, I do. :) I posted it not too long ago. You can see it here – http://www.feelslikehomeblog.com/2009/06/homemade-apple-butter/

    # 30 June 2009 at 11:04 pm
  • Lisa@blessedwithgrace said:

    Always fresh and good food provided by Tara!! Thanks for linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

    Lisa@blessedwithgrace’s last blog post..Tempt My Tummy Tuesday….Sloppy Joe..BBQ.. I don’t care what you call it.. Just call me to dinner ’cause this is good!

    # 1 July 2009 at 4:06 pm
  • Sharinskishe said:

    I think it is a great idea to keep store bought ready to use items in the pantry. This can be a lifesaver just like you showed us.

    I think that making my own mixes also helps. I try to have cake, brownie, rice (a-roni style), pasta, bread and cornbread mixes, among others, all ready to go in the pantry.

    I also keep precooked chicken and pork in the freezer in small bags, so putting together a last minute dish can be done quickly and easily, so it does not feel like an impossible task.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Sharinskishe

    http://practically-perfect-life.blogspot.com/2009/07/kitchen-tips-fun-and-practical.html

    Sharinskishe’s last blog post..Kitchen Tips – Fun and Practical

    # 1 July 2009 at 5:40 pm
  • Welcome BlogHoppers | Feels Like Home said:

    [...] take a look at my header, you will see links to my favorite topics. My favorite posts are usually recipes and kitchen tips, craft ideas and tutorials, fun things for toddlers and preschoolers to do, and [...]

    # 3 July 2009 at 7:54 am
  • What is a Garlic Scape? | Feels Like Home said:

    [...] My pesto primavera [...]

    # 13 July 2009 at 7:29 am

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