Friday, March 30, 2007

Pesto Chango

At the last Bunco night, a few of us were singing the praises of pesto, our favorite blend of basil, olive oil and pine nuts. It's a pricey item for us ($4 or $5 at the deli), so I try to use every last bit and not let any go bad. Here's how I use it.

Pesto Chicken Pasta
Just grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts in an oil-based Italian dressing in a pan and toss with penne pasta and pesto sauce to liking. Top with fresh parmesan and pepper to taste.

Pesto Turkey Quesadillas
Wheat Tortillas
Pesto
Thin-scliced turkey breast
Mozzarella cheese
Butter

Spoon pesto over the entire wheat tortilla and then layer turkey and cheese on one half. Fold over the tortilla and grill (I use a gridle and Smart Balance) until cheese is melted.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
No recipe needed. I just add pesto to the grilled cheese and the soup to add some flavor.

Bachelorette Pesto Pasta
Jason's not a tomato eater, but when he's out of the house, I love to make a simple pasta with a bit of pesto, fresh basil, parmesan and tomatoes.

Do any of you have pesto-using recipes to share so I could change it up?

1 comment:

Briana said...

Hey thanks Caren! I have a half jar of pesto(from Sunday) and am totally going to add it to a grilled cheese or quesadilla for lunch today. :)