Pesto Pasta is one of those restaurant-worthy recipes that couldn't be faster or easier to whip up at home. But it also takes a tiny bit of know-how to do it the right way. Learn how to get the perfect coating of pesto to cling to your pasta without resorting to excessive amounts of oil...
Search Results for: pesto
Basil Pesto (Pesto Alla Genovese)
Classic, homemade pesto can't be beat, so ditch the store-bought stuff and whip up a batch right in your kitchen. All you need is a few simple ingredients and you'll be making this flavorful, basil-packed summer staple in no time. (And by "no time", I mean 5 minutes or less!) If there was ever a...
Pesto Chicken Cheesy Tarte Soleil (Puff Pastry Sun Tart)
Pesto Chicken Cheesy Tarte Soleil. Baked brie or camembert and pesto-loaded ground chicken are baked in puff pastry to create this pull-apart party appetizer. It's December 20th today-- do you know what that means? Sure, yeah, Christmas is only 5 days away, (oh wow, typing that makes it so much more real), but more importantly*,...
Pesto Parmesan Spinach Balls
"Baked" and "spinach filled" aren't usually words that instantly scream hit appetizer to me, but there's a reason that Spinach Balls have been a popular potluck dish for decades. If you've never had them before, you've been missing out: they're savory, with a crisp outside and tender center, and they're so easy to just pop...
Dutch Baby Pesto Breakfast Pizza
I've been trying to write this post for a while-- ugh, hours now, honestly-- but I keep getting distracted by a very sharp set of teeth on my toes. And tugging at my pants. And attacking my ankles. I guess that's my painful reminder that before I begin to tell you about this delicious Dutch Baby,...
Yogurt Marinated Lamb Skewers with Mint-Pistachio Pesto Pilaf
I had fully planned on devoting this whole month to Mexican dishes, since Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and I don't believe that a person can ever have too much Mexican food. Yet here I am, posting a springtime dish that has absolutely 0 south of the border influence, because sometimes a...
One Pot Pesto Carbonara
Looking outside, I can hardly tell it's spring. The sky is grey, the grass is brownish, and the trees are still barren. O Sunshine, where art thou? We get less and less "spring weather" here in Jersey every year, it seems. Is it like that everywhere? Do you feel like it's either scorching hot summer...
Mexican Turkey Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Pesto
Typical Turkey Burgers have never really been my thing, despite my mom's best efforts to get me to enjoy them.  Save for the rare exception, they usually seem dry and unbelievably boring.  I'll just have a hamburger, thanks. But I've been trying to eat a bit less red meat lately (I'd been downing blue cheese burgers with a...
Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
This Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad is everything you always wished your cookout side dish could be. It's loaded up with flavorful ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, peppery arugula, and fresh mozzarella balls, and tossed in a creamy pesto dressing that will make your mouth water just thinking about it. I first made this recipe as a...
Eggplant, Prosciutto, & Pesto Pressed Picnic Sandwiches
"These sandwiches were so delectable that the enzymes in my palate shivered with excitement" - James, when asked how begin this blog post. And that is why he is not a food blogger. But he is a big fan of these sandwiches, because.... well, who wouldn't be?  Homemade pesto, grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers,...
Chipotle-Pesto Chicken Burrito Bowls
It all started in college, when I stumbled into a new fast food restaurant to hold me over in between classes. Â I wasn't expecting much, but after just one meal, I was hooked. Â Love at first bite. Â But after I graduated, I quickly outgrew that fast food obsession. Â I opt instead to cook all...
Grilled Pesto Chicken Sandwiches
Considering that I was obsessed with roasted red peppers for the first few years of learning to cook, I can hardly believe that I have included just one lonely recipe that uses them as an ingredient since starting this blog. In fact, obsessed might be an understatement here-- it was extremely rare that I ever made...
Cheesy Garlic Meatball Bombs
What do you get when you combine garlic knots, melty mozzarella, and mini Italian meatballs? You get the perfect party appetizer: Cheesy Garlic Meatball Bombs. It's like a garlic-butter-slathered meatball sub, but snack-sized, and minus the mess. PARTIES CALL FOR PULL-APART BREAD Whether there’s a holiday, birthday, or game day get-together around the corner, I...
No-Knead Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia
This EASY No-Knead Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia is all about letting time do all of the hard work for you. With just 20 minutes of easy active prep time, you can make an amazingly chewy, creamy garlic-studded, crisp-crusted, tender bread. Who knew that the key to the tastiest bread you've ever sunken your teeth into...
Foolproof Ricotta Gnocchi (Gnudi)
Did you know that you can make tender, restaurant-quality gnocchi at home in less time than it'd take for takeout to arrive? It's almost unbelievable that something as tasty and impressive as this ricotta gnocchi recipe could be so easy to make from scratch, but the ricotta base makes it foolproof, even for novice cooks....
Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad
This Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad features fresh and tangy ingredients inspired by Mediterranean flavors. Feta cheese, briny kalamata olives, cucumbers, chickpeas, and more are tossed with a bright lemon vinaigrette that packs in some major deliciousness. Eat your orzo salad as-is for a satisfying side dish, or add grilled chicken for a complete meal in...
Southwestern Pasta Salad
This zesty Southwestern Pasta Salad features all the best and boldest fixings. Bacon, jalapeños, black beans, corn, and more are dressed in a creamy chipotle ranch dressing that will have your whole party lining up for second helpings. Since I saw real, live humans that I don't live with for the first time in months...
Make-Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole
This Make-Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole is a holiday miracle. Cooked in herbed half-and-half and topped with fried sage, you’ll swoon over the crispy-yet-creamy texture as much as all of the avoided last-minute stress. MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE I spend 150% of the holiday season stressed out because time management is not the strong suit of...
Magic Mac and Cheese
Magic Mac and Cheese is a no-boil, no-roux, and no-nonsense recipe for the richest and most flavorful baked mac of your life. While its flavor is deliciously complex, its foolproof method is (truly) simple to cook and customize. Consider this my Mac N Cheese Manifesto. This spring I set out to create the easiest, cheesiest,...
Garlic & Herb Marinated Chicken Spiedies
These Garlic & Herb Marinated Chicken Spiedies aren't just your run-of-the-mill chicken skewers-- they're a Central NY specialty that deserves some worldwide recognition. Chunks of chicken breast are marinated for at least 12 hours in a tangy, herb-spiked marinade and then grilled before being served on soft Italian bread with a generous drizzle of garlic...
Greek Pasta Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
This super easy-to-make summer side dish beats store-bought pasta salad any day. Loaded up with Mediterranean flavors, Greek Pasta Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette is bright, zesty, and delightfully briney. Best of all, it'll come together quicker than you can say "Opa!" If you caught my recent recipe for Warm Chorizo Potato Salad, my apologies;...
Asian Steak and Shishito Skewers
There’s more to these Asian Steak and Shishito Skewers than meets the eye. The sweet and garlicky marinated steak will be love at first bite, while the rare spicy surprise of a hot shishito keeps you coming back for more. ASIAN STEAK AND SHISHITO SKEWERS Popping up on trendy menus across America, you’ll typically find...
Charred Broccoli Salad with Hot Honey Dressing
Seared (but still crisp) broccoli forms the flavorful base of this Charred Broccoli Salad with Hot Honey Dressing. With toasted pecans, sharp red onion, crisp bacon, tangy goat cheese, dried cranberries, and a sweet-and-slightly-spicy homemade hot honey dressing, this side dish has a little bit of everything for your cookout, dinner party, or lunch box. CHARRED...
Monte Cristo Crepes
The classic sweet and savory sandwich gets transformed into the perfect rolled-up breakfast in the form of these Monte Cristo Crepes. Stuffed with ham, cheese, and a raspberry-dijon mixture, then dipped in egg and pan-fried in butter, they're as full of flavor as they are impressive when served for a brunch get-together. This recipe for...
Chocolate Peanut Butter Dragon Eggs
Easter is coming! There's no better way to celebrate the holiday and the return of Game of Thrones than by making your own Chocolate Peanut Butter Dragon Eggs at home. This recipe includes a Reese's-style peanut butter filling, crunchy sliced almond "scales", and a smooth chocolate coating. If you're planning to throw a Game of...
Cranberry-Jalapeno Baked Brie Dip
Cranberry-Jalapeno Baked Brie Dip. Tart cranberries, spicy jalapenos, and brown sugar transform brie cheese into a hit party dip. This recipe for Cranberry-Jalapeno Baked Brie Dip was also featured on Serious Eats. You all have probably picked up by now that I'm a sucker for sweet and spicy recipes, gooey cheese, and easy appetizers. But...
The Great Kitchen Kapers Holiday Gift Guide and GIVEAWAY 2018
We've made our list and checked it twice: Check out our round-up of the best kitchen gifts for everyone (and we do mean everyone) on your list, whatever your budget. Don't tell anyone, but I haven't bought any Christmas presents yet. I can't believe we're already through week one of December and quickly moving on to...
Cheesy Asparagus and Ham Cannelloni
These Cheesy Asparagus and Ham Cannelloni make for an impressive dinner without a ton of effort. Lasagna sheets, deli-sliced ham, fresh asparagus, and a simple 3-cheese sauce come together to make a truly special dish for the family. I'm what I like to call a "season" person-- it gets me through the year, and...
Fiery Italian Chicken Skewers
This post is sponsored by Sutter Home, who made James and I very happy by supplying the wine to go with these Fiery Italian Chicken Skewers as part of the #SweetOnSpice campaign. Whew. My nerves are all jumbled right now because, from out of nowhere, an apocalyptic amount of bouncing hailstones just decimated the top...
How to Host a Homegate
Thank you NFL for sponsoring this post. Can’t wait for my next Homegate! I’ve been hosting football parties since before I knew what a touchdown was. Or I guess I should say that my dad was hosting them back then (since I was a baby and all), but you know, I was hosting by...
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Basil Bean Dip
It used to be that if you said the words "bean dip" to me, my mind would immediately go to Mexican-spiced refried beans, all warmed up so that the cheese is perfectly melted and oozy over chips. But now that-- as Nelly would so eloquently say-- it's getting hot in here, the idea of keeping dips warm for a...
30 Minute Chicken & Broccoli Tortellini Alfredo Bake
How I imagine the average food bloggers' dinner routine goes: She opens the kitchen windows to let the sunshine and smells from her garden soak into her house. She inhales deeply and smiles as she reaches for the vegetables she's grown herself, then slowly, precisely chops them as woodland creatures poke their little heads through the window to...
Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Parmesan Rice
These Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Parmesan Rice are a result of what can only be explained as a freak accident on mother nature's behalf: I've managed to keep a basil plant alive in my kitchen for months now. Not only is it alive, it's flourishing. New leaves are coming in. Nothing is wilting. It's survived...
Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake with Apple Roses
I worked on this all day and night just to be sure I could get it to you today.  Why?  Because it would be a crime to not give you a recipe for something this good as soon as humanly possible.  So here we are.  It's 9AM as I write this and I'm on my fourth...
Chili Rubbed Steak Tacos with Chimichurri
If you've hung around here long enough, you know that I already made Steak Tacos a little over a year ago. And if you've ever met my boyfriend, James, you probably know that they were his favorite meal I've ever made.  That's really a big deal considering I do this for a living.  The man has...