Basil Pesto Corn

My dear friends Billy and Joe shared their dinner with me a few weekends ago. This corn was so delicious, I had to make it so Amy could try it. Billy's mother is a wonderful cook and always keeps fresh pesto in the fridge. Oh how we would love to have fresh pesto always on hand! For now our slowly growing basil plant on our porch will do. Enjoy this quick and easy spin on traditional corn!

Ingredients:

• 2 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/4 tbsp. pesto

Directions:

Cut the corn kernels off the cob. Put the corn in a skillet and stir in the pesto. Saute over medium heat for approx. 5 minutes or until the corn is soft.

It's that easy!

Yield: 2 servings

Pasta, Asparagus, and Tomatoes with Pesto Sauce

Adapted from Rookie Cookie

This is the first time we've made our own pesto sauce, and boy was it good! And so much easier than we thought thanks to the magic of the food processor. This is a very quick and delicious meal that you could make your own by substituting other vegetables or by adding chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups dry pasta shells
• 1/3 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 oz. grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 orange, zested
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. At the same time, boil asparagus in a separate pot for approx. 3 minutes or until tender. Drain both pasta and asparagus and mix together in a large bowl with the tomato halves.

In a food processor, mix basil, garlic, orange zest, Parmesan cheese, almonds, and a little salt and pepper. Process until basil is finely minced. Then add olive oil and process again.

Toss pesto sauce with pasta, asparagus, and tomatoes.

Yield: 2 servings

Squash-ta with Pesto and Tomatoes

Spaghetti squash is a unique vegetable that transforms into spaghetti-like strands when heated and combed through with a fork, hence its familiar nickname "squash-ta." Spaghetti squash can add flavor and mix things up a bit from your traditional pasta dish. Tonight we used pesto and tomatoes as our toppings, but we will definitely make meals with it in the future and experiment with other combinations.

Ingredients:

• 1 small spaghetti squash
• 2 tbsp basil pesto
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise into equal halves. Remove the seeds and pulp by scooping them out with a spoon. In a covered dish, microwave squash for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the microwave. Using a fork, scrape the flesh so that the fibers come out in spaghetti-like strands. Comb out the strands and place in a serving dish.

In the serving dish, combine squash and tomatoes. Stir in the pesto. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Yield: 2 servings