Ok, so whenever I have people over I like to make pasta, because it is the easiest thing to make for a crowd. We tend to have people over a lot–mainly because mama doesn’t want to drink and drive, and having the luxury of a closet full of pj’s to change into when your jeans are cutting off your fupa is delightful. Pasta is also a great way to entertain people pretty inexpensively, so you won’t break the bank! You will, however, break the scale if you eat this all by yourself, so make sure to share with friends.
Pecan Pesto Toasted Orrechiete with Broccolini and Italian Turkey Sausage
Serves 6
- 1 box of orrechiete pasta
- 2 stalks broccolini
- 2 cups of basil
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ¼ c. toasted pecans
- 2 lbs. of ground turkey
- 1 tbs. Italian seasoning
Preheat your oven to 400
Step 1: Steam your broccoli. I infuse my water with a little bit of crushed garlic and lemon and steam in a steamer basket, but you can just do a regular steam on the stovetop or microwave. Set the broccolini aside for later. **You can use regular broccoli as well, I just prefer broccolini b/c the stalks are tasty
Step 2: Cook your pasta according to the box directions, minus one minute
Step 3: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. Toast your nuts and let them cool. In a food processor, combine the basil, 2 cloves of garlic, parmesan, nuts salt, pepper and drizzle the oil in. Once the pesto is done, set aside.
Step 4: Combine the turkey and Italian seasoning. Heat 1 tbs. olive in a large pan. Add the turkey and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until done. Since ground turkey has very little fat, I don’t drain the meat—you would want to drain if you used a different meat.
Step 6: Drain your pasta, but make sure you save 1.5 cups of the water that you cooked the pasta in (chef’s secrets!) and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Spread out on a sheet pan. Put it in the oven for 8 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes. This gives the pasty a nutty flavor and a great texture!
Step 7: Combine everything together, including the pasta water, and enjoy! I add lots of crushed red pepper and a bit of parmesan!
