Happy Friday! I hope you're all hanging in there at home, practicing social distancing. One thing I've enjoyed about being home more is being able to spend more time cooking! I've been trying to share some easier recipes, because I know people are avoiding the stores as much as possible, and yours might even have a lot of items out of stock. This is a super simple dish with only a handful of ingredients. It's also vegetarian!
You can buy pesto, but I much prefer to make my own! It's so easy, so why not. I also think it tastes 500x better and is obviously more fresh. You literally just take these ingredients and toss them in a food processor or blender and that's it. I also add some fresh ground pepper.
Zero cooking and barely any prep.
Buy some frozen tortellini or make your own if you're super bored (I want to experiment with making my own while home... I've actually never tried it!) and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside. You'll also need sun-dried tomatoes which isn't an item I imagine flying off the shelves, so hopefully you can get your hands on some!
Chop your tomatoes and toss with tortellini and pesto. And that's literally it! Serve right away or chill in the fridge for more pasta salad-vibes. I love it either way. The pasta salad version is a great side dish when cooking out. At least it's supposed to be nicer out this weekend here in Ohio, so we plan on firing up the grill and having a two person patio party at home. Stay safe!
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 cup spinach
- ½ cup Parmesan (fresh is best)
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1-2 large bags of tortellini, cooked according to package directions
- Prepare pesto: add basil, spinach, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan and pepper to food processor or blender and pulse until chopped and combined. Add olive oil and process until smooth.
- Prepare tortellini then drain.
- Add tortellini, pesto, and tomatoes to a large boil and combine well.
- Serve right away or chill in fridge and serve as pasta salad.
[…] Simply add basil, spinach, Parmesan, garlic, walnuts, salt, and pepper to a food processor. While processing, pour the olive oil in the top. Process until smooth. This basil pesto recipe is not only perfect for homemade gnocchi, but so many other dishes as well. Some of my favorites are: Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich, Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes, Pesto Tortellini with Sun Dried Tomatoes […]