Tag: basil pesto

Categories
Side Dish

Flex your cooking ‘Brussels’ with a new summer side dish

Brussels sprouts with bacon and pesto pasta is a light, summer side dish that is best served warm. It features bright flavors from pesto and fresh lemon juice, which makes it a crowd pleaser.
Brussels sprouts with bacon and pesto pasta is a light, summer side dish that is best served warm. It features bright flavors from pesto and fresh lemon juice, which makes it a crowd pleaser.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself searching the Internet every summer for new side dishes to take to barbecues.

Joey is really, really not a mayonnaise fan, so the traditional offerings like potato salad and coleslaw are mostly out of the question.

But then you also have the problem of how to keep a cold side dish cold while you’re hanging out in 90-degree Kansas weather. Instead, I prefer a dish that can be warm (or at least room temperature) and still be delicious.

This week’s recipe definitely ticks that box.

You can find it on the blog “Recipe Runner” at https://reciperunner.com/brussels-sprouts-and-bacon-pesto-pasta/. I added extra garlic and red pepper flakes in my version.

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Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Pesto Pasta

Brussels sprouts with bacon and pesto pasta is a light, summer side dish that is best served warm. It features bright flavors from pesto and fresh lemon juice, which makes it a crowd pleaser.
Course Side Dish
Keyword bacon, barbecue side dish, basil pesto, Brussels sprouts, garlic, lemon juice, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, picnic side dish, summer side dish

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces pasta shells
  • 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 12 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons pesto
  • Juice of one lemon about 2 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded (plus more for topping)

Instructions

  • Boil your pasta according to package directions.
  • While it’s cooking, wash and trim your Brussels sprouts and slice them thinly. Set them aside.
  • In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it’s crispy, and then remove it from the pan to a paper towel to drain.
  • Remove all but about one tablespoon of the bacon grease from the skillet, and add in the sliced Brussels sprouts, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes or until the Brussels sprouts are as tender as you like them.
  • Stir in the garlic and saute for about one more minute or until it is lightly browned and fragrant.
  • Add in the rest of the ingredients (drained pasta, too), and stir to combine. Add more seasoning if necessary, and serve warm with some extra cheese on top.

We ate this hot the first time, and it was amazing. We ate it cold as leftovers, and while it was still good straight out of the fridge, we both agreed we liked it better at least warm.

The flavors married well and were bright and perfect for a summer side dish.

The next time we’re hosting (or invited to) an outdoor summer meal, this will be on my short list of dishes to take. It’s tasty, easy to make, and there are no ice packs or other contraptions needed to keep this dish cold throughout a get-together.

With the heat outside rising, if I can at least find some relaxation through not worrying about my cooking, I’ll be very happy.

This piece first appeared in print on June 22, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Have dinner ‘tortellini’ figured out this week

Pesto chicken tortellini and asparagus uses some pre-made ingredients to allow quick cooking with fresh and colorful vegetables.
Pesto chicken tortellini and asparagus uses some pre-made ingredients to allow quick cooking with fresh and colorful vegetables.

Over the course of our marriage, Joey and I have developed a special ritual, where each of us tries to be the first one to ask, “What do you want to eat?” before every meal, as though the person who asks first is absolved from having to do any choosing.

I mean, the answer is nearly always, “I don’t know,” but we still try it every meal, every day, with very few exceptions.

He was a little shocked last week, then, when I said, “Hey, don’t worry about dinner tonight. I have an idea.”

I knew he was going to be stuck at the office late, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe and hopefully have it ready for him when he got home.

Well, let me tell you, it was a huge hit, and if you or someone you know is cultivating a vegetable garden this summer, this is a great recipe to try out.

This comes from the blog “Julia’s Album.” You can find the original at https://juliasalbum.com/one-pan-pesto-chicken-tortellini-and-veggies. I added garlic salt and more pesto to my version.

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Pesto Chicken Tortellini and Asparagus

Course Main Course
Keyword asparagus, basil pesto, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, tomatoes, tortellini

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless chicken thighs or breasts cut into strips
  • garlic salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped, divided
  • 1 pound asparagus stalks cut in half
  • 3/4 cup basil pesto
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup cheese tortellini fresh or frozen

Instructions

  • In a large skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
  • Season the chicken with garlic salt and add it along with 1/4 cup of the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan, sauteing for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Transfer the chicken and tomatoes to a plate, season the asparagus with garlic salt and add it to the pan (add a little more oil, if necessary). Also add the other 1/4-cup of sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Cook for another 10 minutes until the asparagus reaches your desired doneness (I like mine very tender, so I added about four tablespoons of water and put the lid on the skillet to steam cook it for a bit, too.)
  • While the asparagus cooks, cook the tortellini according to package directions and drain.
  • Remove the asparagus from the skillet, and cover it to keep it warm.
  • In the skillet, add the chicken, pesto and tomatoes. Stir continuously to allow the chicken to reheat and let the tomatoes release some juice.
  • Add in the tortellini and stir to combine.
  • Serve the chicken mixture along with a serving of the asparagus.

This had amazing flavor and was gorgeous on the plate. I also really liked that, while it looked complicated, it used enough pre-made ingredients that it was easy to put together. It was also awesome as leftovers later on, which I always appreciate about a recipe. 

Joey was extremely grateful to have dinner on the table when he got home and to not have to endure yet another discussion about what we wanted to eat.

The only problem is now that I’ve shown my ability to choose a meal, I have to be extra quick about being the first to ask Joey what he wants to eat. Otherwise, it may become my job every day, and I just don’t think I’m ready for that responsibility.

This piece first appeared in print on June 4, 2020.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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