Pesto Pasta Dinner

It is nice to be back in Chicago after spending several days in Indy. I love Indy, and it is my hometown, but I miss the "big city." There is just so much more to do and see up here!

I called John to see what he wanted for dinner. I rattled off a bunch of options like curry, pizza, couscous, and many others, but never mentioned pasta. What does John want....pasta.

I didn't want to make the traditions marinara type or olive oil/garlic base. I knew I had to stop by the store on the way home from school, due to our lack of fresh produce, and decided on a simple pesto pasta. I stopped by Whole Foods because I needed vegan butter and cream cheese which in not sold at Trader Joe's (my normal shopping destination). I am always blown away by how expensive things are at Whole Foods. I did find a bottle of wine for $2.47! I put down my $8 bottle of wine and casually, and excitedly grabbed the cheap bottle!

The recipe I use for pesto is from Vegan with a Vengeance. I, however, didn't use the recipe tonight. I just made one up that was based on the recipe from the book. I started by adding spinach to the top of the food processor, added 4 cloves of garlic, pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I then added a slice of fresh lemon along with several basil leafs.I processed this and added olive oil to the desired texture. I realized I didn't have enough for the pasta and added arugula which added a hearty and slightly tart flavor.

I used whole wheat pasta from Trader Joes.

In a separate skillet, I heated jarred roasted red peppers (lazy option), a roma tomato, and a can on cannelloni beans for added texture and creamy texture. I added some of the bean liquid to help spread out the pesto once added to the pasta. I realized I forgot my lunchbox at school which contained my can opener. I had to use a bottle opener to get open the beans. I tried to open the car in five, very close spot and then pry the lid open; it actually worked!

I combined all the parts together and made quite a delicious pasta dish that wasn't too heavy. John inhaled the pasta and had two servings. He noted that the arugula added a nice flavor of tartness. I don't think I processed the pesto enough because there were still noticeable pieces of garlic.

Dinner was served with a wheat baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce mixed with garlic powder and pasta sprinkles.

I chopped up organic romaine lettuce and served a small salad on the side.

For not wanting to cook pasta tonight, it was a good dish to make. It wasn't a "typical" pasta dish. It was really fast and easy to put together. I may try to add nutritional yeast next time for a nutty flavor and added B vitamins.

Happy Cooking!