Creamy Pesto Maccheroni with Broc & Sundried Toms

Creamy Pesto Maccheroni
with Broc & Sundried Toms

Prep Time: 25 Min
Cook Time: 25 - 30 Min

Yields: 4 Servings

What You Need

• PESTO
• https://www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/my-perfect-pesto-recipe
  
• 450g Maccheroni Noodles, dry
• 3 Tbsp. EVOO
• 1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
• 1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Shallots, diced
• 2 Fresno Chilis, seeds mostly removed & diced
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 1/4 C Sundried Tomatoes packed in oil, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 C Broccoli Florets
• 1 C White Wine ( I used Sauv Blanc)
• 1/4 C Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
• GARNISH - Grana Padano, Fresh Parsley, Fresh Basil

Directions

• Prepare the pesto according to the recipe provided. Cover and refrigerate until needed. You'll want to pull it out about 10 minutes prior to finishing the pasta.
• Bring a large pot of cold, generously salted water to a boil and leave covered.
• Let's start the pasta! Begin heating the EVOO, butter, garlic & pepper flakes in a large skillet set to just below medium. Once heated, stir and let everything sizzle together for about a minute before adding the onion, fresno, bell pepper, sundried toms, and a good hit of both salt & pepper. Stir and let your veggies cook for about 10 minutes, stirring as needed. Drop in your broccoli florets and give the skillet another pinch of both salt & pepper. Stir the broccoli and continue to cook another 2 minutes.​

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• Pour in the wine along with another good pinch of salt and at the same time, drop your noodles in to the boiling water. You're going to cook your noodles about 2 minutes less than recommended for al dente. As the skillet simmers and the wine evaporates, grab a ladle of the boiling pasta water and add it to the skillet while the pasta continues to cook. Once your noodles are ready, strain them directly in to the skillet. Reduce the heat on your skillet to medium low & continue to toss the pasta in the skillet while it simmers. Once the pasta is perfectly al dente, turn off the heat.
• Add the entire batch of pesto and a good ladle of the hot pasta water to your skillet. Start tossing everything together in the skillet until the pesto sauce is nice and creamy. I ended up adding another small ladle of hot water to get it to the creamy consistency I wanted. Fold in the fresh pesto, cover, and set aside for a couple of minutes.
• Taste your pasta and adjust the salt if needed prior to serving up your portions. Serve garnished with as much grana padano as your heart desires, a sprinkle of parsley, and some fresh basil. ENJOY!
• Refrigerate any remaining pasta in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

HAPPY VEG