I didn't go into this evening's experiment thinking that I was going to create a Pesto Pasta Monster, but like Victor Frankenstein, once I got carried away there was no turning back. Ok, maybe that was a bit dramatic. Sorry about the crappy picture, my next blog will be titled Ignoramus iPhone Photographer. Here's the dish:
Pesto Pasta Monster
Easiness: ♣♣
Messiness: ♣♣♣
Tastiness: ♣♣♣
3 roma tomatoes chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup red & yellow peppers chopped
1 cup baby portobello mushrooms sliced
1/4 cup fresh oregano
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbsp fresh tarragon (dried works too)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
pesto packet (Simply Organic Sweet Basil Pesto)
1/2 cup water
8 ounces whole wheat linguini noodles
Optional: sausage/beef meatballs (no idea how to make these, I bought mine from Whole Foods - maybe I'll try a recipe one of these days)
Cooking noodles for dummies: Fill a large pot with water and add about a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt, bring to boil. Add noodles and turn down heat, stir occasionally. Cook until you can throw them on the wall and they stick (science, kids). Put the noodles in a strainer and run cold water on them to stop them from cooking. Set aside (covered).
Saucy sauce: Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until the onions are clear (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add in mushrooms (pro tip: don't pile mushrooms up, space them out OR cook separately in butter) and cook until tender. Throw in the tomatoes, red peppers, oregano, and tarragon. Mix vegetables just until flavors are well distributed. Add in pesto packet, 1/2 cup water, and remaining olive oil. Mix around and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low/medium and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
