post-Christmas pesto pasta

I threw this recipe together for lunch while JT was shoveling our White Christmas out of our driveway. He asked for a warm meal and I couldn't think of anything to put together since Christmas cooking has preoccupied me and all of our leftovers were at my parents' house. Luckily, I had leftover pasta from a soup I'd made (check out that AWESOME Cavatappi -- corkscrew-shaped macaroni), and some homemade pesto, which was a little harsh and garlicky by itself, but calmed down considerably with some creamy Laughing Cow cheese wedges.

Ingredients:


Pasta
Pesto sauce (practice with ingredients and portions YOU like!)
--> Your favorite greens and herbs (about a cup to a cup and a half)
--> 1-2 garlic cloves
--> eyeball about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
--> the juice of half a lemon
--> drizzle in EVOO while blending/food processing until it forms a sauce
2-3 Laughing Cow cheese wedges, depending on how much pesto you have, how strong it is, and how creamy you want your pasta to be.

Directions:


Cook pasta according to package directions. In the meantime, prepare your pesto sauce and dice Laughing Cow cheese wedges. Drain pasta and return to pan, removing from the heat. Add pesto and diced cheese while the pasta is still hot, stirring consistently until the noodles are coated and the cheese is completely melted and incorporated into the pasta.

If I'd had parmesan pita chips, I'd have served with that for some crunch, and JT recommended some diced, cooked chicken for protein.

Refrigerator Pasta

I call this Refrigerator Pasta because it's a great way to revitalize leftovers and veggies that will otherwise go bad. The combinations are pretty much endless!

• Pasta - leftover, uncooked or cooked
  
• Diced Mushrooms (leftover cooked meat would also work well)
  
• Sprinkle of sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 finely chopped shallot or a bit of leftover onion
  
• Dry white wine or chicken stock
• Leftover salad greens (I used the spinach and arugula I didn't use in last night's salad)
  
• Pecorino or parmesan cheese
  

If pasta is uncooked, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt once the water reaches a boil and cook according to package directions. When finished, drain and return to pot.

In a separate skillet, heat some oil and cook the shallots until fragrant and transparent. Add the mushrooms, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and cook until they release their juices. If your salad greens are undressed and raw, add them at this time. (I used arugula and spinach.) Remember that greens will wilt when cooked, so be very liberal with them!

Pour about 1/2 cup of white wine or chicken stock evenly over the mixture and stir until visibly reduced. Sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes and stir until heated through.

Combine mixture with pasta and stir. I served this with pecorino cheese because it complements the peppery flavor of arugula. JT added red pepper flakes to give his a little spice.