Italian Pesto Potato Pasta 5fix Food

BEST EVER PESTO & POTATO PASTA

Steps:

• KIDS: the writing in bold is for you. GROWN-UPS: the rest is for you. Pick the basil for the pesto. Get your child to pick the basil leaves off the stalks. Ask them to look at and smell the leaves as you tell them the name of the herb until they remember it - try to do this with all herbs when you can.
• Make the pesto. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over a low heat. A child of seven years plus can stir the nuts in the pan. Tip into a mini chopper (or use a pestle and mortar) with the basil, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. Blitz or pound into a green sauce, then set aside.
• Chop up the beans. Using a child-friendly knife, get children from the age of five to chop the green beans into shorter lengths, and quarter the potatoes. Younger children can snap the beans into short lengths while you prepare the potatoes.
• Cook the vegetables and pasta. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and boil for 3 mins. Remove from the heat and ask the child to tip in the pasta and give it a stir. Put the pan back on the heat, boil the pasta for 5 mins, add the beans and cook for a final 3 mins.
• Mix everything together. Drain everything well and tip into a bowl. Spoon most of the pesto into the pasta and stir everything together to coat. Bring the large bowl of pasta to the table and serve with extra parmesan, more basil and remaining pesto, if you like.

PASTA WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Put pesto in a large bowl. Cook linguine or spaghetti until al dente. Whisk about 1/3 cup pasta cooking water into pesto. Add drained pasta to thinned pesto with salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Serve with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano.

PESTO PASTA & POTATOES

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain; transfer to a large bowl., Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, adding green beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup pasta water; add to potatoes. Toss with pesto, cheese and enough pasta water to moisten.

PESTO GENOVESE (AUTHENTIC ITALIAN BASIL PESTO)

Steps:

• Crush garlic using a mortar and pestle. Add pine nuts; crush with the garlic. Add basil leaves gradually, making circular movements with the pestle, until a smooth paste forms.
• Mix Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pecorino Romano cheese using a wooden spoon. Stir in olive oil until pesto is blended.

SIMPLY POTATO GNOCCHI WITH PESTO AND PARMESAN #5FIX

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add potatoes and 1 2/3 cup flour. Stir until well combined and dough forms. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes until chilled.
• Bring 2 quarts water to boil in a four quart pot.
• Use remaining flour to dust work surface. Transfer dough to surface, knead briefly adding flour if sticky.
• Divide dough into four portions. Roll each portion into logs 1/2" thick. Cut each log into 1/2" wide pieces and press tops with fork to flatten slightly.
• Cook in two batches, add gnocchi and cook 5 minutes until tender and floating to top of water.
• Remove with slotted spoon to clean bowl. Add pesto and 1/4 cup cheese, toss with spoon until gnocchi is covered lightly.
• Divide into equal portions into serving bowls, top with remaining cheese and serve.

PASTA, GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Make pesto: In the bowl of food processor, add basil, pine nuts, salt and garlic. Pulse until mixture is coarse and grainy. With the motor running, add oil in slow, steady stream. Add cheese; process just enough to mix well. If sauce is too dry, add a little more oil. Taste; add more cheese or salt, if desired.
• Bring 6 quarts water to rolling boil. Add at least 2 tablespoons salt and the potato slices. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until potatoes have started to soften but are not cooked through. Add green beans, and continue boiling another 5 minutes.
• Add pasta, and stir. Start testing pasta at 5 minutes. When it is done, and when potatoes and beans are tender, drain and turn pasta and vegetables immediately into preheated bowl. Add pesto, and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

POTATO GNOCCHI IN PESTO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add lots of salt to the boiling water to help flavor the gnocchi. While the water is heating, get a sauce pan and whisk together the pesto, cream, salt and pepper over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a low boil and be sure to stir frequently. Turn down the heat to a low simmer. Once your water pot is at a full boil, gently add in the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. The gnocchi will float to the top when they are done. Drain. Add the gnocchi to the pesto cream sauce. Stir to combine. Top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

ITALIAN CHICKEN WITH PESTO POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
• Cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Fill each pocket with an equal amount of mozzarella cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap each chicken breast with a slice of ham. Arrange the wrapped chicken breasts in a baking dish. Place the tomatoes around the chicken, sprinkle all with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
• In a saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover, boil the potatoes 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, return to the pan, and coat with the pesto.
• Place chicken breasts, tomatoes, and potatoes on serving plates, and drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar to serve.