Pesto Rolls Food

PESTO ROLLS

Steps:

• Allow pastry to thaw and then flatten the sheet out.
• Brush the first third and the last third of the sheet with pesto - as much as you want.
• Roll both sides towards the centre, creating a swiss roll effect on each side.
• Slice the sheet into approx 12-16 bite size pieces, using a sharp knife.
• Freeze for a while prior to baking off for best results. Baking takes approx 8-10min.

PESTO LASAGNA ROLLS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles 1 minute longer than the package directions for al dente. The pasta should be tender enough that it will roll without cracking. Drain well and rinse with cold water. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and is the consistency of a thin gravy, 6 to 8 minutes. Allow the bechamel sauce to cool slightly.
• Beat the egg in a large bowl and then stir in the ricotta, spinach, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the pesto, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup pesto into the slightly cooled bechamel sauce.
• Brush a 13- by 9- inch baking dish with oil. Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto-bechamel sauce on to the bottom of the dish.
• Lay half of the cooked lasagna noodles on a clean work surface and spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture evenly over each. Starting with a short end, roll each noodle up. As you make the rolls, transfer them to the prepared baking dish seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon the remaining pesto-bechamel sauce over the lasagna rolls and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the rolls are heated through and the sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is browned on top, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if using, and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

PESTO CHICKEN ROLLS

Steps:

• Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press each roll into a 5 inch circle. Combine cream cheese, chicken, pesto and onions and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Place about 1/4 cup filling in the middle of each dough circle. Gather the sides of the dough over the filling and pinch to seal.
• Dip each ball in melted butter and roll in crumbs. Place on a sprayed baking sheet or in a sprayed muffin tin, seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Remove plastic and bake at 350°F 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

PESTO-POTATO ROLLS

Steps:

• Mix 3 1/2 cups water, potato and 1 teaspoon salt in saucepan. Cover; boil until potato is very tender, about 20 minutes. Mash potato with cooking water until smooth. Transfer 2 cups potato-water mixture to bowl (discard any remaining mixture); cool to 105°F to 115°F.
• Whisk yeast, then pesto, sugar, pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon salt into potato mixture. Whisk in 1/2 cup melted butter, then eggs. Add enough flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, to form smooth and sticky dough, stirring vigorously with wood spoon. Butter large bowl. Transfer dough to bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. For do-ahead version: Refrigerate dough overnight. For same-day version: Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes (do not punch down dough).
• Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/3-inch-thick round. Using floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Reroll dough scraps and cut out additional rounds. Dip top of each dough round briefly into 6 tablespoons melted butter. Fold each dough round into half-circle, buttered surfaces pressed gently together. Arrange half of folded dough rounds side by side, with flared sides turned up, in each prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area until dough rounds are almost doubled in volume, about 30 minutes for chilled dough and 20 minutes for room-temperature dough.
• Meanwhile, position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Bake rolls until golden, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans at least 20 minutes. Turn out. Serve warm or at room temperature.

EASY PESTO LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and arrange in a layer on the prepared baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese with 1/2 cup of the pesto. Divide the ricotta mixture evenly among the noodles, spreading it the length of each noodle. Divide 1 cup of the marinara sauce evenly among the 8 noodles, spreading it on top of the ricotta mixture.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of the remaining marinara sauce to the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
• Roll up the lasagna noodles, then arrange them seam-side down in the baking dish. Top them with the remaining 1 cup marinara sauce and 1/4 cup pesto. Cover the baking dish securely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil, top the roll-ups with the mozzarella cheese and continue baking, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, top the lasagna roll-ups with the grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

PESTO CRESCENT ROLLS

Steps:

• 1. Open the can of crescent rolls immediately after removing from the refrigerator and un-roll the dough. The dough will be perforated into triangles (the normal size can has 8 triangles). Working quickly, cut each triangle in half, basically making 16 smaller triangles.
• 2. Put a dollop of basil pesto in the center of each triangle, and then fold all 3 corners into the center, making it look roughly like a diaper.
• 3. Bake at the temperature recommended on the crescent roll package, but for a few minutes less (since they are smaller). Best when served warm.

CHEESE & PESTO WHIRLS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and 1½ tsp fine salt in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a tabletop mixer. Measure out 300ml warm water and add roughly 280ml to the flour, along with the olive oil, and start mixing until the ingredients start to clump together as a dough. If the dough seems a little dry, add the remaining water. Once combined, knead for 10 mins by hand on your work surface, or for 5 mins on a medium speed in a mixer. The dough is ready when it feels soft, springy and elastic. Clean the bowl, drizzle in a little oil, then pop the dough back in, turning it over and coating the sides of the bowl in oil. Cover with some oiled cling film and set aside in a warm place to double in size - this will take 1-3 hrs, depending on the temperature.
• Line a baking tray with parchment. Uncover the dough and punch it down a couple of times with your fist, knocking out all the air bubbles. Tip out onto a floured work surface and dust the top with a little flour too, if it is sticky. Roll the dough out to a rectangle, roughly 40 x 30cm. Spread the pesto over the dough, then scatter over the tomatoes, both cheeses and the basil. Roll the dough up from one of the longer sides, into a long sausage.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Place on the baking tray, cut-side up, in a 3-by-4 formation, making sure the open end of each roll is tucked in towards the centre on the arrangement - this will prevent them from uncoiling during cooking. Leave a little space between each roll as they will grow and touch as they prove. Loosely cover with oiled cling film and leave to prove for 30 mins-1 hr until almost doubled in size again. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Uncover the bread when it is puffed up. Bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 35-40 mins until golden brown and the centre looks dry and not doughy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 10 mins.