Pasta party.
Well y’all, it’s been a wild ride of a year and we aren’t even two weeks in. There has been a butt load of resting, taking care of my nervous system and making it through the days. And that has meant not necessarily the fanciest meals, but getting yummy food into my body in ways that seem attainable. Good food doesn’t have to be fancy and sometimes it just means making whatever you have available work!
Today I was feeling much more grounded than I have felt recently and I wanted to cook up something easy, tasty and filling so of course I thought of pasta! And after taking a gander into my fridge to see what I had to work with I came up with this tasty dish—pesto pasta with asparagus, artichoke hearts, peppadew peppers and a sharp cheddar cheese. And in classic Callie fashion I finished it off with a balsamic reduction because, well, duh. It’s addictive.
Super easy, let’s get cooking. Here is what you’ll need:
a handful of asparagus, cut into bit sized pieces
a handful of artichoke hearts, quartered
a handful of peppadew’s, chopped,
a bit of onion, diced
a bit of garlic, minced
a big ol’ dollop (or a few dollops) of the pre-made pesto of your choice
as much pasta as you want to eat (I went with angel hair)
salt and pepper to taste
and a cheese garnish (I had sharp cheddar today)
balsamic reduction (pre-made or you can make your own!)
olive oil
a pan to sauté your veg
a pot to cook your pasta
Ok y’all, first things first. Get all your veg prepped! Chop it, mince it, half it, you name it! Now that you’re ready to rumble, get a pan warming on a medium/high heat, adding a couple spoonfuls of olive oil once it’s nice and toasty. The first thing you’ll want to start cooking is your onion because it will take the longest! Add it to the pan, give it a little stir, let it start cooking. Once they start changing their look (translucent baby!) add your asparagus, garlic, peppadews and artichoke hearts. Give everything a good mix and allow your veggies to cook away together.
While your veg cooks, get some water boiling to cook your pasta in. Once it starts boiling, salt your water and add your pasta!
Your veggies are probably coming together nicely now, so let’s get that pesto out. Add a couple big scoops (or more than a couple) to the mix and stir away, letting it coat everything and turn your heat down to a med/low.
Once that pasta is cooked, give it a drain, add it to your pan full of veggie mix and give everything a proper toss to get those goodies incorporated! Garnish your pasta with some cheese and a drizzle of balsamic for a touch of sweetness and enjoy <3
Note: If you don’t have balsamic reduction but you have balsamic vinegar, you can make it! Ad a cup or two into a small sauce pan and cook it on your stove top at a medium heat. Bring it to a wee boil and then reduce the heat to med/low. You’ll know it’s done with it can coat the back of a spoon :)
Love y’all, be well and nourish that sweet body of yours. It loves you and I do too!
