Sometimes you have to make dinner, and you don’t have money/energy/time to run to the store. In such situations, this pasta is my go-to. It’s made from ingredients I keep on hand that don’t perish quickly. It works as a warm dish or a cold pasta salad. You can add chicken for extra protein, but it will still taste great without it.
Shopping List
- Pasta (any type)
- Pesto (if possible, make your own)
- Feta cheese (or other strong cheese such as goat cheese or gorgonzola)
- Black olives
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Chicken (optional)
Assembly is simple: cook and drain pasta (see this post for some tips), slice olives and tomatoes, and combine all ingredients while the pasta is still warm.
Want a side dish?
You can make a simple salad with:
- Whatever leafy greens you have on hand (I had kale and Swiss chard)
- Dried fruit (I used figs, but raisins or apricots would work)
- Sliced apple (add Parmesan or gorgonzola cheese if no apple)
- Pesto (use balsamic vinegar if you used all the pesto for the pasta)
To assemble: work the pesto into the greens with your hands until it is evenly distributed (this is called “massaging” the greens, and it makes a world of difference if your greens are bitter, like kale). Sprinkle other ingredients on top and toss together.
Additional Information: This dish would work as a fruit salad with an apple base if you didn’t have greens, as long as you have really delicious pesto. Mix the pesto with apples, walnuts, and dried fruit.
