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!
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.
ReplyDeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteSounds 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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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