Friday, January 21, 2011

Food Review Friday

Just as Mondays are Menu Mondays here on Winnie's Mom Makes (can we all agree to call it "WMM" from now on?  So much faster to type!), Fridays are officially declared Food Review Fridays. Thanks to a smooth week, I was able to make all the meals that I had planned.  Winnie's Dad's favorite meal, I think, was the Shredded Beef and Bean Soft Tacos. Though the soft taco shells that I purchased were pretty flimsy.  Lesson learned.  I won't buy that brand again.  My favorite meal of the week was Sunday's Spinach, Pea and Pesto Pasta.  On top of being downright delicious, it was a one-pot meal!  Easy preparation and clean up makes a recipe a winner in my book. There is almost nothing worse than returning to the kitchen after a great meal (and long work day) only to have tons of pots, pans, and mixing bowls to clean up.  Winnie's Dad always offers to clean the kitchen up after dinner; however, to him "after dinner" often means in the morning.  Of course, I could leave the kitchen messy and let Winnie's Dad take care of it in the morning.  Because one of my biggest pet peeves is to be greeted by a messy kitchen when I enter it, bleary-eyed, in the morning to make my coffee, I usually do the post-dinner clean up.  It also would not be fair of me to resent Winnie's Dad for not helping me after dinner.  He offers to do it in the morning.  I say no. End of story.  No resentment and no "keeping score".   Anyway, on to the recipe.

Spinach, Pea and Pesto Pasta

8 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti
2 cups frozen peas
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon
juice of half a lemon
1 bag pre-washed baby spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding peas during the last two minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.  In pasta cooking pot, stir together ricotta, pesto, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice.  Add pasta and spinach.  Toss to combine.  If necessary, slowly stir in reserved pasta water to desired consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serves 4-6.

For some added protein, this dish would be great with some grilled or even rotisserie chicken mixed in. 

3 comments:

  1. Yum. Sounds tasty and easy! Trying it next week! (with chicken)

    ReplyDelete
  2. ok ... so we tried this and I must say the lemon is probably important. I forgot it and we made without ... it was definitely missing it. But otherwise good. Grady's version with the ketchup did not look so good, but it did to a two year old I guess!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Syd: lemon, yes. The original recipe did not call for it. I had a lemon and decided to add it and see. Ketchup, I don't think so. But as long as Gray liked it, that is all that matters.

    ReplyDelete