My Brother's Pesto Pasta Salad

My little brother David has been making this simple, flavorful salad for years and it’s just so tasty, it’s time to share it with all of you. With just six ingredients, you can make it too. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own pesto sauce, but to stay true to my brother’s recipe (and because I’m still recovering from my injury) I will make it just like he does with the prepared pesto. I cook the pasta in chicken broth for extra flavor, but you could use either well salted water or vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegetarian. When you’re slicing your onion, I suggest making the pieces no longer than the pasta you choose so it makes it easier for your guests to eat. The best part about this recipe is that your measurements don’t have to be exact, just make it to taste. My brother says you can make it a day ahead… just leave out the almonds and cheese until you’re ready to serve it. Take this salad to any summer BBQ and it’s sure to be a big hit. There won’t be any leftovers! This recipe is for a crowd, so feel free to half it for a more manageable portion if you’re not taking it to a party.

What You Need:

1 – 14.5 oz box short pasta (I used penne – Barilla Pasta Plus)
1 – 7oz container pesto (my brother uses Buitoni or Costco’s)
4 oz crumbled goat cheese (or feta if you prefer)
½ cup slivered or sliced almonds (toasted or raw)
½ cup julienne sliced sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, lightly drained
¾ cup or about ½ medium red onion, sliced into small peices (optional or to taste)

What To Do:

Prepare pasta according to packages instructions in salted water or broth.









If you’re going to be eating the salad the same day, combine all ingredients and allow to chill in the fridge until ready to serve. If you’re making this a day ahead, combine all ingredients except cheese and almonds. Refrigerate until ready to serve, mixing in remaining ingredients just before you eat.

Serves 8-10

1 cup is about 289 cal, 13g fat, 3.5g fiber, 10.5g protein, 6g cholesterol

Print recipe. (<--click here to print!)



Bon Appetit!
Mary

Italian Style Mini Meatloafs

With a craving for Italian and a pound of ground turkey in the fridge, I got to work. You may be wondering why on earth I would want to put carrots in a meatloaf… The answer is simple. Grated carrot will not only keep your meat extra juicy, it will bulk up this meal with extra vitamins and minerals (vitamin A and beta carotene). To save time, you could buy them pre-grated. In addition to grating the carrots, I decided to grate the onion for an extra, extra juicy meatloaf. Serve with mashed potatoes.

What You Need:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 medium carrot, grated
1/3 cup egg white (or one whole egg)
½ cup loosly packed Italian parsely, minced
6-8 cloves garlic (to taste), minced
¼ large red onion, grated or finely chopped
1 medium tomato, seeds removed and finely chopped
3 Tbs sundried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced (optional)
2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
½ tsp kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

What To Do:

Heat the oven to 350* and spray the inside of a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently mix with hands.

Divide mixture evenly among the 12 cups and sprinkle with more red pepper flakes.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until no longer pink. Serve with mashed potatoes.













Serves 4-6



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Sun Dried Tomato Basil Hummus

This flavorful hummus recipe comes together in less than five minutes. You’ll never want to buy the stuff from the store again. There are a number of combinations of flavors that would also work for this recipe. Instead of the tomatoes and basil, try adding one head of roasted garlic. This spread is great to dip raw vegetables in, pita bread, crackers or chips and also tastes wonderful in a sandwich or wrap instead of mayo.

What You Need:

1 – 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained – not rinsed (reserve 1 Tbs can juices)
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
¼ basil
¼ cup tahini
2 small cloves garlic
1 Tbs juice from canned beans
Juice of ½ a lemon
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Garnish with paprika



What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Process until smooth.

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Vegan Pasta Salad with Artichokes

To celebrate my Mom’s birthday, her fiancée decided we should all get together and throw her a surprise birthday party. Everyone is to bring a side dish and I knew exactly what I wanted to bring. My Mom’s favorite food in the whole world is the artichoke. Any way you can prepare them, she loves ‘em. With that in mind, I knew I wanted to make a simple pasta salad that could sit out during her celebration without having to worry about the dairy products in it spoiling in the warm weather. I love the crunch of the fresh vegetables and the sweet undertones of sun dried tomato. This salad serves a crowd.

What You Need:

1 lb whole wheat pasta
1 – 12 oz jar marinated artichokes, drained
3 stalks celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, diced
½ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, thinly sliced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest of one lemon
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper


What To Do:

Combine oil and zest and set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Prepare pasta according to packages instructions.  Make sure you salt the cooking water well (about a tablespoon of salt) because it's your only chance to season the noodles. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. For best results, make a day ahead.

Serves 12 - 14



Happy Birthday Mom!
Mary

Orzo Salad with Artichokes, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Orange Scented Balsamic Dressing

When the weather starts warming up, the last place I want to be at the end of the day is a hot kitchen. I prepared this salad while the cool morning air was still lingering to accompany my grilled salmon and asparagus for dinner last night. By cooking the pasta in chicken broth, you really boost the flavor of the pasta. If you happen to be out of broth, use well salted water instead. Also, if you don’t want to turn on the oven, you could blanch the broccoli for two minutes in boiling water and then shock in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. The ice water bath helps the broccoli retain its bright green color.  This salad can be made a day ahead. The longer the salad sits, the better it tastes. I highly recommend refrigerating it over night.

What You Need:

12 oz orzo, cooked as directed in chicken broth

14 oz can artichokes, quartered

½ - 8.5 oz jar julienned sun dried tomatoes
½ cup toasted pine nuts
12 oz roasted broccoli, recipe follows
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 recipe orange scented balsamic, recipe follows

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  You could serve the salad immediately, but the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it tastes.  I recommend refrigerating the salad for at least two hours, but preferably over night.

Serves a Crowd!

Bon Appetit!
Mary



Roasted Broccoli

What You Need:

12 oz broccoli pieces

½ Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Roast in a 400* oven for 12-16 minutes, or until broccoli is golden brown at the edges. Set aside.






Orange Scented Balsamic

What You Need:

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2-3 small cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp orange zest
Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until dressing becomes slightly thickened. Set aside.