Pesto Pasta Al Forno

Yesterday, I was sat eating my breakfast looking at the Basil plants on the windowsill and thinking that I really must use some more of them before they go over.

Later reading some of the Blogs from my sidebar I came across Shirley's, and what should be on there but a recipe for Green Pesto, and then I was off.

It's such a simple recipe -

Green Basil Pesto

25g Basil

1 clove of Garlic

25g Pine Nuts

25g Parmesan Cheese

2 tbs Olive Oil

half a tsp of salt

Simply blitz all these together in a food processor and there you have it a lovely bowl of Green Pesto. 

 (I didn't have enough Pine Nuts so I used some raw Cashews and it still worked perfectly, (and of course I use veggie Parmesan equivalent, as no Parmesan is vegetarian).

I added my lovely Pesto to a pasta bake.

Pesto Pasta Al Forno

Pasta Shapes

Spinach or Broccoli

A Jar of rich Tomato Pasta Sauce

Goats Cheese

Green Pesto

Grated Parmesan

Cook enough pasta for 2 people in boiling water, steam some broccoli or wilt some spinach above the pasta pan, when these are cooked drain the pasta and tip the veggies in, stir through some rich tomato based pasta sauce, tip it all into an oven proof dish and dot with slices of goats cheese and dollops of your lovely fresh Pesto.  Add a sprinkle of Parmesan, saving some for when you serve it up.

Put in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, it's ready when your cheese is meltingly lovely and there are bubbles around the edge.  Enjoy.

Lovely Hubby had his with some slices of roast chicken breast, I just enjoyed it as it was and it was plenty filling enough.

Luckily there's enough Pesto leftover for me to have a bowl of pasta for lunch, and there was enough leftovers for LH to take a smaller version of last nights tea for his lunch today at work.

Al Forno just means 'in the oven', I think Italian recipe names  have a lovely 'ring' to them, I could have just called it Pesto Pasta Bake!!

I'm off to read my new book now......I'll tell you all about it tomorrow if it lives up to expectation!

Sue xx