Spring Veggie Pesto Pasta

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ReadyPasta #CollectiveBias

As you may know, we are in the midst of selling our South Florida home and purchasing a home in North Florida. This is our first move since we became parents and our biggest move as a couple, so it is an incredibly daunting task. Between putting our house on the market and keeping the house clean for showings to finding a home in Gainesville and completing all the required paperwork {including inspections and appraisals}, we are very busy people! While I absolutely love preparing elaborate, delicious meals for my family, we’ve been so on-the-go, I’ve had to scale back a little. And then I discovered Barilla Ready Pasta. Barilla Ready Pasta offers al dente pasta ready in 60 seconds in the microwave. It comes in a convenient pouch and contains 3 simple non-GMO ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and Barilla pasta. Now I can focus on preparing a seasonal pasta dish my family will love in just minutes: Spring Veggie Pesto Pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1 pouch Barilla Ready Pasta
• 1/2 jar Barilla Pesto Sauce
• 2 cups asparagus
• 2 cups fresh peas
• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Directions:

This is probably the simplest meal I have ever shared on this blog. In total, it takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and it’s filled with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Asparagus and fresh peas are two of my favorite springtime ingredients, but feel free to substitute any of your favorite vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots would be delicious as well.

The first ingredient I tackled was the asparagus. Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F. Cut off the tough bottom portion of the stalks. Toss the asparagus in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 10 – 12 minutes, until the stalks are tender.

Meanwhile microwave the pasta according to the directions on the Barilla Ready Pasta package. Make sure you knead the pasta first to break it up, open the pouch, and microwave for 60 seconds. Then, voila! Your al dente pasta is ready to go. How cool is that?

Meanwhile, you also need to quickly blanch your fresh peas. I put them in a small pot of water, brought the water to a boil for 3 minutes, and then strained the peas. Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and toss with the peas and pasta. Now you’re ready to toss your pasta and veggies with half a jar of Barilla Pesto Sauce.

To really brighten up the flavor of this recipe, add the zest of one lemon. Lemon zest is a great way to enhance the flavors in a dish with minimal time and preparation. It adds a vibrant pop of acidity to any dish.

Last step in this recipe? Add the goat cheese. I placed my goat cheese in the freezer for a few minutes while preparing the other components in this recipe so that I could easily crumble it over the top. If your family likes a different type of cheese, try that! Parmigiana-Reggiano would be delicious shaved over the top of this pasta dish. Recipes like this are awesome because you can easily adjust them using your favorite flavors combinations.

Ready to prepare awesome pasta dishes for your family in just minutes? Head to Walmart and purchase a few pouches of Barilla Ready Pasta. You can find this convenient pasta down the same aisle with the dry pasta and jarred sauces. They come in four varieties: elbow, penne, gemelli, and rotini.

What shortcuts do you take while preparing delicious meals for your family?