So I found a recipe on one of my new favorite blogs, Momzoo. She has a lot of great-looking recipes on there. I wanted to have a little formal Back to School Dinner the night before school started. I decided to try this pasta. It is not a very healthy meal nor is it particularly cheap but it was EXTREMELY easy. So on occasion I plan to make it, especially when I may need to take a salad to an event. I was able to use her technique for cooking chicken, which I LOVED. I will cook my chicken this way from now on. I also enjoyed using some of our own garden tomatoes for this recipe. My family all loved it, except one child. Next time I make it I will go easier on the olive oil and/or mayonnaise. It was kind of on the oily side. I would also add more tomatoes. It made a very large amount, so we were able to eat it for dinner twice and share some with a couple of neighbors. Recipe is taken straight from said blog and you can even find a full picture tutorial here.Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
2 pkgs bow-tie pasta
3 cups mayo (I would do 2 1/2 ish)
1 cup sour cream
4 pkgs Pesto Mix (I used 3)
8 Tbsp Olive oil (I would use a bit less next time)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Chicken Breast (I used 3)
1 pkg cherry tomatoes (I used appx. 6 small roma tomatoes, diced)
Directions:
Cook your pasta. While it is cooking make your sauce. Start with the mayo then add the sour cream. Mix in Pesto packets. Stir that all really well until creamy & green. Add olive oil. Use extra virgin for a better taste. Add grated parmesan cheese. It will look lumpy. Pour it over the HOT pasta so the mayo, sour cream, & cheese can melt into it. Cut up tomatoes & add them.
Dice your chicken and add it. (If you are serving this as a side to a protein, don't add chicken at all to cut down on costs, otherwise add chicken if it is your main dish). Stir well and put in refrigerator. Delicious hot, warm or as a cold salad. (I tried it all three ways and loved it each way!)
*Please comment and tell me your experience using pesto packets vs. bottled pesto vs. homemade pesto!
4 comments:
I have used bottled pesto a couple of times (when I found them on sale) and pesto packets. I found that I liked the packets better. I could control the amount of oil. I found the bottled pesto to be really oily. I'd love to try it fresh and home-made sometime, but not having a food processor makes it a little daunting. This recipe looks yummy. Love the blog. Can't wait to post.
I made this tonight. It was a hit. It makes A TON!!! I fed my grandma, mom, brother, sister-in-law, husband and me. Then sent leftovers with my grandma and mom and we still have plenty to feed us a couple more times. Great meal for company. Very filling. Also, it felt like a recipe that needed pinenuts so I added those. Delicious!
Sounds like this dish is a hit all around. I am always looking for a good pasta salad recipe, I think they are hard to find. Can't wait to try this.
I ate this at Tawnie's house over Labor Day weekend! Amazing! It was really delicious and filling! I'll definitely be making it, especially for a crowd!
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