I know you just read that title and muttered, “Bullshit.”
How many meals call themselves Thirty Minutes Or Less And Bursting With Flavor? Three Simple Steps to a Nutritious Dinner? Fast, Easy, and Budget Friendly?
I know.
I have trust issues too.
Especially on my Sam’s Club shopping day.
You know the grocery trip I’m talking about.
The one where you blow the entire budget on fresh, organic ingredients and then order delivery pizza because you’re so exhausted?
Oh yeah. I see you.
Hell, I am you.
Which is why I’m sharing this no bullshit ten minute dinner with you. Oh…and it’s not only faster than delivery pizza, it’s cheaper and more nutritious too.
With leftovers.
Go ahead and pinch yourself. I’ll wait. It’s really real there, Cinderella. No surprise mice or pumpkins involved at all.
I give you Pesto Pasta.
My ingredients come from Sam’s Club so the sizing and pricing may be different where you shop. I have four kids and a hungry husband so it makes sense for us to buy in bulk. I also used leftover vegetables from the fridge. Any vegetable would work here. The key is just to make it garlicky.
Ingredients:
Had to Buy
- Five Cheese Tortellini (24oz, 2 pk $8.98
- Basil Pesto (22oz $6.98)
Already in the Fridge
- 1/2 cup of milk
- Handful of chopped red pepper
- Head of broccoli
- Minced garlic
Here’s the trick. As soon as you drop that first bag of groceries on the kitchen floor, pull out your cauldron, fill it with water, give it a generous sprinkling of salt, turn the heat to high, and slap a lid on it.
Now have the kids grab the rest of the groceries while you chop up whatever straggler veggies you have lingering in the fridge.
Toss a small skillet on the other burner, give it a nice spiral of olive oil, and set it somewhere between medium and medium high.
By the time you’re done chopping, probably before the groceries are even put away, both pans will be ready.
Toss the veggies in the olive oil and stir to coat. Sprinkle a little salt on them too.
Now turn your attention to the bubbling cauldron. Leave the lid off and drop in the tortellini. Mine only needed four minutes before they were ready to drain.
That gave me just enough time to drop spoonfuls of minced garlic onto the veggies and quickly stir fry them. I definitely dropped a knob of butter in with the garlic.
Once the tortellini are drained, dump the jar of pesto and the milk into the cauldron. Give it a good stir before tossing the tortellini back in. Give it another good stir to coat and you’re done!
Pesto Pasta with Garlicky Veggies in a bowl. Everyone licked their plates. Two kids came back for seconds. And there’s enough leftovers for Mom and Dad to both have lunch tomorrow.
Not too shabby for ten minutes and $16.
