BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND PESTO PASTA VIA SIRIOUSLY DELICIOUS

I don't know about you guys, but I am feeling lazy.  September means school is back in session and ordering pizza/Chinese/both is becoming extremely tempting.  Measuring ingredients and reading a recipe seems like too daunting a task these days.  So when I saw this "recipe" I knew it had to happen in my kitchen.  We've had this pasta twice now, and the first time I found a bag of shaved brussels sprouts at Target.  The second time, I finally got to use the amazing mandoline my lovely friend, Andrea, gave me for my birthday!  It was fun.  The pieces were more substantial than the bagged kind and had fresher flavor.  You could also use a very sharp knife if you aren't lucky enough to have an Andrea in your life.

The amount of pesto, pasta, cheese and brussels sprouts really depends on your personal taste.  I used an entire pound of veggies, but you may not love brussels sprouts so you could use less, of course.  Mix and taste until you find the amount perfect for you!

P.S.  This is fabulous leftover and definitely makes lunch a happy occasion.

Yup, that's all you need!

I love you, mandoline.

Crispy and browned.

Don't forget to save some yummy pasta water!

Mix mix mix.

Dig in.  I dare you to resist!

Ingredients

1 lb pasta (any short shape will do)
1 lb Brussels sprouts, shaved
7-10 ounces refrigerated pesto basil
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
grated parmesan cheese (I used 1/2 cup)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup reserved pasta water

Boil pasta in salted water in a large pot, according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute Brussels sprouts in olive oil until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  When pasta is al dente, scoop out about a cup of pasta water.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add pesto, brussels sprouts and almost all the pasta water.  Stir to combine, then add cheese.  Give it a good stir, and decide if you need to add remaining pasta water to give it a saucy consistency.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve immediately. 

BAKED PESTO CHICKEN WITH SPINACH

Chicken.  Pesto.  Spinach.  Pasta.  Melty, broiled cheese.  Do I need to tell you more, or are you already convinced you need to make this meal?  Okay, one more important thing to tell you: remember this pasta?  I purchased Rao's sauce again, and it MADE this dish.

Layer sauce, spinach, seasoned chicken

The good stuff.

Spread pesto over chicken

After cooking, top with cheese!

Broiled cheese: beautiful.  Broiled spinach: woof.

Ingredients

1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 jar pesto, or about 1 cup homemade
1 jar marinara sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce)
2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
1 bag baby spinach, 9 oz.
Italian seasoning
Coarse kosher salt
pepper
1/2 lb pasta

Preheat oven to 375.  Start a large pot of water boiling for pasta.  Coat bottom of 9x13 baking dish with about 1/2 cup marinara sauce.  Lay spinach leaves on top.  Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.  Place on top of spinach, avoiding overlapping.  Spread pesto on top of chicken.  Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, until chicken is almost done.  Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on top, put the foil back on and bake for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Remove foil and broil for about 3 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly.  While chicken is baking, boil pasta in salted water according to package directions.    Drain pasta and mix with remaining marinara sauce.  Serve chicken over pasta.