Angel Hair Pasta With Creamy Pesto Food

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND AVOCADO PESTO

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the skillet. Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown on one side, 8 to10 minutes; flip and cook until cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into strips.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend together the basil, walnuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Drain the pasta into a colander. Transfer it to a large serving platter or bowl and toss with the pesto. Top with the sliced chicken. Serve immediately.

FIERY ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Stir the oil, parsley, lemon juice and lemon peel in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and toss with enough reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and red pepper flakes, to taste. Sprinkle grated lemon peel over pasta for extra flavor and texture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.
• Combine the oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a heavy small saucepan. Cook over low heat until a thermometer inserted into the oil registers 180 degrees F, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer the oil and pepper flakes to a 4-ounce bottle. Seal the lid. Refrigerate up to 1 month.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours

ANGEL HAIR WITH FENNEL PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Dry-roast the fennel seeds in a heavy-duty sauce pot over medium-high heat, until they become slightly browned and give off a nutty aroma, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the crushed red pepper, and give a stir or two. Don't let the flakes burn.
• Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the onion. Sauté until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chopped fennel. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, wine, and salt, and stir. Cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the fennel cores and outer layers in 6 quarts of salted water, and bring to a boil.
• Remove the pot from the oven (the vegetables should be thoroughly soft), and coarsely purée the sauce with an immersion blender. Add the currants, stir, return the pot to the stovetop over low to medium-low heat, and simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the garnish. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the bread crumbs, fennel fronds, and oregano in a bowl, and toss to mix.
• When the water has come to a boil, remove and discard the fennel, and add the angel hair. Drain the pasta after about 1 minute, when it's just short of al dente, reserving 1 cup or so of the cooking water. Return the angel hair to the pot, and set it over medium heat. Add the fennel sauce to the pasta, and toss to incorporate. Add some of the reserved cooking water if needed to help incorporate the sauce and finish cooking the pasta. Serve in shallow bowls, topping each with a "halo" of garnish.

BLUSHING ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, warm the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons water. Simmer until the water cooks out and the garlic becomes tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste with 2 more tablespoons water and cook to "fry" the paste for a minute in the oil, stirring. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook over medium heat until they soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
• In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil. Add a generous handful of salt. Bring the water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom, until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta in a large colander.
• Add the hot pasta right from the colander to the skillet and toss to coat with the cream. Shut the heat off and allow the pasta to rest for 2 minutes. If too thin, gently warm and reduce over low heat for 1 to 2 additional minutes. If it becomes too thick, simply thin it out with some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Serve topped with the cheese.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in a blender and blend to a puree. Add the cheese, salt and pepper, and blend again.
• Cook the pasta in the boiling, salted water until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the pesto and toss. Taste for salt and pepper, and add a drizzle of oil, if you like.

PESTO AND TOMATO ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions.
• Turn on food processor and drop garlic down feed tube.
• Stop the processor and add basil, nuts, cheese and salt and pepper.
• Pulse until finely chopped, then with motor running, add oil gradually through tube until blended.
• Drain pasta and reserve some of cooking water.
• Toss pasta with the pesto, then add tomatoes.
• If mixture is too thick, add a little cooking water.
• Can be served hot or cold.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH PESTO AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Prepare Angel Hair Pasta to pkg. directions and drain.
• In a large skillet heat olive oil.
• Saute onion and garlic. About 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and pesto. Add salt and pepper, continue to cook until hot.
• Add cooked pasta, Parmesean cheese, garlic salt and lemon pepper.
• Toss and Serve.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan cook the Mushrooms and onion in the butter until vegetables are tender.
• Stir in cream cheese, salt and pepper.
• Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.
• Gradually stir in milk and chives; heat through.
• Pour sauce over pasta.
• Toss to coat.
• Serve immediately.
• Makes 4 side servings.

LOW CAL CREAMY PESTO WITH BROCCOLI AND ANGEL HAIR

Steps:

• Put the water and salt on to boil.
• After boiling, add pasta to the pot and cook for 8 minutes.
• In a large bowl put the oil, basil and garlic, then mix with a whisk.
• Add the cream cheese to the bowl.
• Now add the broccoli to the boilng pasta in the pot and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes.
• When time is up, drain pasta mixture in sink, then immediately add the hot pasta mixture to the items in the bowl.
• Stir well to distribute.
• Add the fat free half and half, the parmesan cheese and the chopped nuts.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH CREAMY PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*F.
• Arrange the pine nuts on a cookie sheet lined with foil and roast in oven for 7 to 8 minutes.
• In a food processor, mix roasted pine nuts with the next 6 ingredients to form a paste.
• Blend in water to achieve desired consistency.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm.
• The sauce can be refrigerated in a tightly covered container or frozen before serving, if desired.
• Serve pasta with sauce.