Fetuccini in Roasted Garlic Pesto Cream Sauce

Dishes like this are what happen when I don't know what to make for dinner but discover about a half of a box of fetuccini, a half of a tub of roasted garlic pesto sauce, and some dairy liquid in my fridge. The combination of the roasted garlic pesto with the slightly-cheesy cream sauce was the perfect combination and a great dinner for a cold night.

Fetuccini in Roasted Garlic Pesto Cream Sauce

Serves 3-4

Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Fetuccini noodles (I used a little more than 1/2 of a box)

1 TBSP butter

1-2 TBSP flour

2 cloves garlic

1 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

1/4 cup (or so) pesto sauce 

salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in a big pot or dutch oven. Whisk in the flour and let cook for about a minute. Add the milk and stock and whisk. Let cook for a few minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the garlic and season with a bit of salt & pepper. 

Add the cheese and whisk together. Cook for a few more minutes. 

Stir in the pesto sauce and toss with the noodles. Serve and top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Garlic Scape Pesto

I first tried pesto when I was 17 and in Minneapolis for the spring All-State Band festival. My high school band director took myself and my fellow band geeks to Edwardo's Natural Pizza (unfortunately, now closed) for what was pretty much the best pizza I've ever had, even to this day. It was a deep dish with pesto sauce, roasted garlic, and mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan cheese.

I liked it so much that I made my parents go to this pizzeria with me the next time my family went to Minneapolis to visit family. My mom agreed with me; my dad kept complaining that there wasn't any meat on the pizza (silly dad).

I still crave that pizza occasionally.

A few weeks ago I went to the Farmer's Market and picked up a bunch of garlic scapes and decided to make pesto out of those. I was a bit nervous, but it was delicious! I wish I had made more batches to freeze.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Serves 2-3ish

Prep Time - 15 min

INGREDIENTS

10-12 garlic scapes, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine all in food processor until it reaches your desired consistency. Since I like pesto thinner, I used close to a full 1/2 cup of the olive oil, but depending on your preference, you may use more or less.

Toss with cooked pasta. I used fetuccini, but it's great on almost anything. Top with Parmesan cheese.

** Pesto also freezes really well. Store in an airtight container and it will freeze for several months.

Gnocchi, anyone?

I love gnocchi, so I was really excited to find pesto-cheese filled gnocchi at Trader Joe’s a while back. I finally decided to make them and pair it with a mornay sauce. I figured the mornay would be a good match and the creaminess would compliment the pesto/cheese filling well. Overall, I wasn’t impressed with the gnocchi (the taste, that is. The texture was excellent). The pesto was way too strong and over-powered everything. The mornay sauce was excellent, though.

My husband hadn’t had gnocchi before and I don’t think he liked it. His reaction was quite funny. He took one bite, looked at me, and said “what is this?? Is it dough? Is it potato? Is it noodle?”

Gnocchi with Mornay Sauce

Recipe by Michele Urvater, adapted
*Serves 4*
Prep Time – 5 min
Cook Time – 20 min

1 package frozen gnocchi (from Trader Joe’s)

Mornay Sauce
2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP flour
2-3/4 cups half & half, divided (original called for 2 cups milk and 3/4 cup cream)
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus ¼ cup for topping

Heat butter. Add flour and stir in 2 cups half & half. Cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in 3/4 cup half & half to thin sauce and add 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package. Drain. Toss cooked gnocchi with sauce and serve.

*The original recipe calls has you actually making your own gnocchi. I don't have the time or the patience for that, but if you do, I'm sure it would be great.*