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Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli

This is a quick and super easy meal and I needed to make a quick dinner tonight so I came up with this delicious dish. I always keep a big batch of pesto in the fridge so I always have some on hand, glad I did because it came in handy tonight.

This pasta is packed with veggies and even better because it’s made with homemade cilantro pesto. I love sun dried tomatoes and I put them in most pastas that I make. I also had left over salmon so I added some and it was a delicious addition. You could also add chicken if you would like, that would be yummy also or leave just as pictured above.

Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli

Print recipe
Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli
Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Total time 20 minutes
Dietary Vegetarian
Meal type Main Dish
Misc Serve Hot
This Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli is a quick and easy meal for a week night dinner. FrenchToasty.com has lots of quick recipes for you and your busy family.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 box rotini noodles
  • 1/2lb broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup cilantro pesto
  • fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Optional

  • 1/4lb cooked salmon

Directions

Step 1
Cook pasta according to box.
Step 2
Add broccoli for last two minutes.
Step 3
Drain noodles and then add noodles back to pan. Add sun dried tomatoes and pesto sauce and stir until all piece are covered.
Step 4
Add optional cooked salmon or cooked chicken if you want it.
Step 5
Add fresh shredded Parmesan cheese right before serving.

Optional cooked salmon

Cilantro and Red Onion Pesto Quesadilla

Mexican is so popular in my area, my city has 4 Mexican restaurants in a 1/2 mile radius. I know that seems crazy, but they are all a little different so they all do great. As much as I love going out to eat, I’ve learned to cook a lot of my favorite dishes at home. With a little one it’s so much easier to eat at home, she can play and be as loud as she wants!  So here is my newest Mexican creation, Enjoy!

Cilantro and Red Onion Pesto Quesadilla

Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
1 cup Cilantro and Red Onion Pesto
4 flour tortillas
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cheddar or pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 T olive oil
Toppings:
2 cups kale, chopped
1 cup guacamole
1 cup pico de gao
1/2 cup sour cream
hot sauce

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a big pan.
  2. Put tortilla down, lay cheese on half of it and the pesto on the other half.
  3. Add chopped pepper and onions to the side with cheese.
  4. Continue to cook on med-high for a few minutes. Put a few splashes of hot sauce on cheese and pesto. Keep a close eye to make sure to not burn.
  5. Fold quesadilla in half, cut in half or quarters and then add your toppings. Serve immediately if toppings are on other wise place finished quesadilla in oven to keep warm, until ready to serve.
Completed Quesadilla with all the toppings
Completed Quesadilla with all the toppings

 

Cilantro Red Onion Pesto
Cilantro Red Onion Pesto

 

Cilantro and Red Onion Pesto

I was craving Mexican food and knew I wanted to make something different. I had a nice big bunch of fresh cilantro and thought I’d put a spin on my classic cilantro pesto. I thought cilantro and red onion would be a great mix. I put this on a quesadilla and it was delicious. I put it on my husbands sandwich for lunch the next day and he said it was excellent. Let me know what you put it on.

Cilantro and Red Onion Pesto

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed (stems can be left on)
1 small red onion
4 walnuts
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions

  1. Pulse first 3 ingredients in food processor.
  2. Drizzle oil in and pulse until desired consistency.
Cilantro and Red Onion Pesto in Quesadilla
Cilantro and Red Onion Pesto in Quesadilla

Grilled Cheese with Cilantro Pesto

Everyone loves a classic grilled cheese, but have you ever thought to put pesto on it? Well you should think about it because it’s delicious.

Grilled Cheese with Cilantro Pesto

Time 5-10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
8 pieces of french bread or artisan bread
4 slices pepper jack cheese
6-8 T cilantro pesto or any pesto you prefer
2-4 T unsalted butter

Directions

  1. Butter 1 side of each piece of bread.
  2. Rub 1-2 T of pesto on 4 of the slices of bread.
  3. Put those 4 slices in medium heat skillet. Butter side down, pesto side up.
  4. Lay 1 piece of cheese on each of those slices of bread. Then put the other 4 bread slices on top of those, buttered side up.
  5. Make sure not to burn, but get a golden brown. Flip and toast other side.
  6. After about 3-4 minutes on each side, cheese should be melted.
  7. Serve with either tomato soup, or dip in Franks hot sauce. Yum

Enjoy!

Cilantro Pesto

I LOVE cilantro. It is my favorite herb and is good on everything. When I found this recipe I knew I would love it. I’ve tried it on pasta and sandwiches. My husband came home from work the other day and commented on how tasty his sandwich was and asked what was different. I told him that I had put the pesto on it and he said that this recipe is a keeper and a must for our house. I agree!

Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients

1 big bunch of cilantro
a couple pecans or walnuts (i used pecans because that is what I had)
2-3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 cloves of garlic (you can reduce to 1 if you are a huge garlic lover, like we are)
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

  1. Pulse first 4 ingredients together into a paste.
  2. Drizzle in oil and add salt while blade is running until emulsified.

This has a stronger, more bold flavor then basil pesto and is fresh and sharp tasting.

Slightly adapted from source Kath Eats Real Food