, Spicy Chipotle Pesto Pasta

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Spicy Chipotle Pesto Pasta

I had the day off from work yesterday so I spent the day batch-cooking for the rest of the week. It’s been a really long time since I had a weekday off and I forgot how nice it is to just stay at home and catch up on some daytime television. I think I watched about 4-5 episodes of Scrubs back to back. Plus, the laundry room was completely empty so I definitely took advantage of that too.

Now included in this batch-cooking day is this amazing chipotle pesto pasta, filled with corn, beans, tomatoes and avocado. I’ve made this once before for Jason and he absolutely loved it. He just kept moaning with every single bite - so much that I thought he was lying about how good it really was!

Not only is this dish incredibly scrumptious but it is so easy to make! Everything gets dumped into the food processor for the pesto and after boiling up some water for the pasta, you can just toss everything together. Plus, I substituted the mayo with Greek yogurt for a more healthier take on this dish.

I really love the simplicity and easiness of this dish, which makes it perfect for a weeknight meal, and the spiciness is definitely the best part about this dish!

So here’s how you make this:

Let’s first start with the pesto by combining some chipotle peppers, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic.

Once all of that is combined, go ahead and stream in the olive oil. Then we’ll add the Greek yogurt until it gets nice and creamy.

Once the pesto is taken care of, let’s toss some cooked farfalle pasta with the pesto, corn, beans and tomatoes.

After everything is combined, we can serve it immediately as a hot dish or as a cold pasta salad - either way is good. You can also serve it with some fresh avocado and chopped cilantro along with some crusty French bread.

I could seriously eat this every day for the rest of my life.

One year ago: Broccolini with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Chipotle Pesto Pasta (adapted from Mother Thyme):

Yields 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound farfalle pasta
5-6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce*
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, diced
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

INGREDIENTS:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

To make the pesto, combine chipotle peppers, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream and Greek yogurt until emulsified; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, pesto, corn, black beans and tomatoes.

Serve immediately with avocado and cilantro, if desired.

*Note: To minimize spiciness, remove seeds from chipotle peppers before placing in food processor.

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October 10, 2012