Week 49:
RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM OUR CULINARY INSTRUCTOR MICHELLE ITZKOWITZ
I LOVE ANYTHING PESTO! This recipe has all of the ingredients for satisfying meal with elements of warmer weather that we can all welcome with open arms. Ingredients can be swapped out to make this easy dish gluten free, vegan, or both. For easier prep, you can toast the pine nuts or walnuts ahead of time– it also gives the dish a nuttier flavor.
Recipe adapted from pinchofyum.com
Pesto Baked Rigatoni
Adapted from pinchofyum.com
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 1 lb. whole wheat rigatoni
- 2–3 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used asiago/shredded mozzarella)
- pesto (recipe follows)
- For the pesto:
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 cup kale
- 1 cup basil
- 3/4 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large cloves garlic
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. While the water is boiling, chop up the tomatoes. Add the pasta to the water and cook according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, place all the pesto ingredients in the food processor until smooth. You may have to push the spinach down periodically to get everything moving. You will get about 2 cups of pesto.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cooked noodles with the chopped tomatoes, pesto, and enough water to make it a little saucy. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish and sprinkle with the cheese.
- Cover loosely with well-oiled aluminum foil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes and dive in!
- Serve with a crusty bread or salad of seasonal greens.
Notes
Toast the pine nuts or walnuts ahead of time for a nuttier flavor.
Pesto is a bit pungent, so use liberally.