Orecchiette With Almond Pesto Recipes

ONE PAN ORECCHIETTE PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir sausage into onions; cook and stir until sausage is broken up and browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Pour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into sausage mixture and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add orecchiette pasta; cook and stir pasta in hot broth, adding remaining broth when liquid is absorbed, until pasta is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Stir arugula into pasta-sausage mixture until arugula wilts. Ladle pasta into bowls and dust with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

EASY BASIL PESTO WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• Combine basil, Parmesan cheese, almonds, olive oil, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Pour in more olive oil, with the processor running, until pesto is thick and smooth.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Cook the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes and then immediately plunge in the salted ice water. This will prevent the broccoli rabe from being overcooked and will set the lovely green color.
• Drain the broccoli rabe and squeeze out any excess water; coarsely chop. Place the broccoli rabe in the bowl of a food processor and puree until it is a coarse paste. Add the pistachios and parmigiano and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you probably will need more salt. Add the ricotta and pulse until combined. Taste for seasoning once again-it should be full-flavored, slightly bitter and creamy at the same time. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. (If you are making the pasta right after the pesto, just use the broccoli rabe blanching water.) Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the cooking time on the package.
• While the pasta is cooking, place the pesto in a large skillet and add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water; place over medium-high heat. When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the skillet with the pesto. Stir vigorously to combine and cook until the sauce is creamy and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; add salt to taste. Remove from the heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, if desired, and stir vigorously. Garnish with more parmigiano. Voila!

ORECCHIETTE WITH ALMOND PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season well with salt. Add the broccoli rabe to the water and simmer until the stem is just tender when pierced with a knife, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a rimmed baking sheet to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out any extra water with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
• Add the almonds to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, 5 or 6 times. Add the basil, oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Puree until combined and almost smooth. Pour the pesto into a large bowl. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, broccoli rabe and mozzarella and toss well to combine.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season liberally with salt. Add the orecchiette and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a pasta spider, transfer the pasta directly to the bowl with the pesto. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss everything together until evenly coated.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.