Raise your hand if you're a fan of super yummy (and healthy!) food that doesn't take a lot of effort but manages to woo your special man (or lady) friend.
I thought so.
I rarely buy processed foods... and pre-made pesto? Heck no. If you're too lazy to make your own pesto, you don't deserve the right to eat said pesto in the first place.
... and yes, it would appear as though I've become a pesto Nazi. Well... that's new.
Regardless, this ready to go pesto stuff is really good. I hate to admit it... but it is. So when you're in a bind and need a last minute woo-ing agent, this stuff is top notch.
And sure, you can make this with one type of pasta... but where's your sense of adventure? Gah.
If you have a weird food texture issue like me, you'll really appreciate the two types of pasta used in this recipe. The rotini corkscrews pick up the pesto while the penne hangs out and manages to attract the extra parmesan. Seriously. I wouldn't lie about something so serious.
My go-to roasting veggies are squash, zucchini and tomatoes (and onions.... but not with pasta) but feel free to mix it up. I fully intend on chopping up some kalamata olives to put on my leftovers tomorrow. Don't think I'm not excited about that, kids. Julie = olive queen.
So play with it. Let me know what you think. And by all means... buy the pre-made pesto. Just this once.
Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
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INGREDIENTS
4 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta
2 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
1 zucchini, quartered
2 squash, quartered
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
7 oz Buitoni reduced fat all natural pesto with basil
1/4 cup shredded parmesan romano
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss zucchini, squash and tomatoes in olive oil; spread evenly across baking sheet with sides. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip; bake for 25 minutes.
2. In the meantime, prepare pasta according to package instructions. If done before vegetables are ready, remove from heat but do not drain.
3. Drain pasta and place in large bowl. Toss with pesto; add vegetables and top with cheese. Serve immediately.
