Love Pasta

I am super excited to share a Valentine’s Day recipe that is dear to my heart. It’s called Love Pasta, and it’s perfect for enjoying with your favorite people. I picked up this lovely pasta dish from an amazing chef while I was living and working in Chicago, which honestly feels like a million years ago. I have been making it for myself and my family ever since.

It’s a delicious combo of pasta, pesto, Alfredo, chicken, veggies, and toasted pine nuts. It’s super easy to whip up and just bursting with love! To make it even easier, try using a jar of Pretty Sauced Arugula Pesto and Alfredo.

Alfredo is the kind of indulgence that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. Rich, creamy, and cheesy. Add some pesto sauce to it, and it becomes something very special. I love broccoli and asparagus; however, any vegetable works in this dish. Instead of sauteeing chicken breast, try swapping it out with rotisserie chicken or grilled shrimp.

Any pasta will work, but right now, I am obsessed with fresh rigatoni from our local pasta store. Toasted pine nuts are a must! They add a rich nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness. Everything comes together quickly, so grab a bottle of white wine, if that’s your thing and enjoy a perfectly satisfying meal.

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Love Pasta

An easy pasta dish using a jar of Pretty Sauced Alfredo and Arugula Pesto, with sautéed chicken, veggies and toasted pine nuts. Perfect for indulging your loved ones on Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of rigatoni pasta
• 1 lb chicken breast
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup of asparagus chopped and 1 cup carrots sliced, roasted or blanched
• 1/2 cup peas
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Save 1/4 cup of pasta water.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a pan, heat olive oil and sauté the chicken until golden and juicy. Cut into bite sized pieces.
3. Toss the pasta with the Alfredo Sauce, and add about a 1/2 cup of pesto.
4. Add the chicken, veggies, peas, and leftover pasta water stirring until everything is well coated.
5. Sprinkle on the toasted pine nuts and generous amounts of Parmesan cheese.
6. Add fresh basil leaves for that colorful touch.
7. Plate your Love Pasta, take a moment to admire it, and dig in. Every bite is a taste of love!

And there you have it! A pasta dish made with love to treat yourself or your loved ones. It’s simple yet indulgent—a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Cheers!

Quick & Easy Baked Shells w/ Tomato Basil & Arugula Pesto

I often reach for a jar of Pretty Sauced Tomato Basil because it is the easiest way to make a meal fast. Quick and easy dinners are needed during our busy weekdays, and baked shells are a family favorite. There are plenty of baked shell recipes; however, I use Cookie and Kate’s recipe the most. I promise that using a jar of Pretty Sauced Tomato Basil and a few scoops of Pretty Sauced Arugula Pesto reduces prep time and adds an incredible flavor.

The brightness of the Tomato Basil sauce balances the cheesy richness of the stuffed pasta shells. The Arugula Pesto mixed in with the ricotta is a quick way to add some depth of flavor, nutrition, and color. Plus, you get to skip a few of the recipe’s steps — like draining frozen spinach, which is no fun. Toss a simple mixed green salad with olive oil, a couple of lemon squeezes, salt, and pepper, and you have dinner in under an hour.

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Step By Step

1. Set oven to 425 degrees.

2. Boil the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water for 10 minutes.

3. Drain pasta and toss with a bit of olive oil.

4. While the pasta boils, mix 1/4 cup of Arugula Pesto with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a dash of dried chili pepper flakes.

5. Check for flavor before mixing in the raw egg to ensure the seasoning is to your liking.

6. Pour about a cup of Tomato Basil into the roasting pan.

7. Add a heaping spoonful into each shell and place each stuffed shell on top of the Tomato Basil.

8. Add a second cup of Tomato Basil over the top of the shells, and sprinkle the remainder of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly.

9. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes.

10. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

11. While the shells are baking, mix up the salad.

12. Serve and devour.

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Other Ways of Using Tomato Basil

• lasagna

• veggie chili

• tomato soup

• American goulash

• baked burrata

• meatball sandwich

• pizza sauce

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“Certain antioxidants, such as lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, are more available to be absorbed by the body when a tomato is cooked. ”

— www.verywellhealth.com

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The Underestimated Tomato Basil

Our Tomato Basil can turn anything into a quick and easy meal, so get going and start cooking. If you loved it, let us know! Tag #prettyprovisioned and #prettysauced if you share. Stay tuned for more Pretty Sauced sauce recipes for your next incredibly easy and satisfying meal.

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Quick & Easy Baked Shells - With Tomato Basil & Arugula Pesto

Yield 4

Try using Pretty Sauced Tomato Basil sauce in your next baked shell recipe for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. 100% natural and delicious!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces jumbo shells
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces (2 cups) grated part-skim mozzarella, divided
• 1/4 cup of Pretty Sauced Arugula Pesto
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• Pinch of salt, to taste
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with a fork
• 2 cups of Pretty Sauced Tomato Basil sauce
• Freshly grated parmesan and parsley for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Set oven to 425 degrees.
2. Boil the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water for 10 minutes.
3. Drain pasta and toss with a bit of olive oil.
4. While the pasta boils, mix 1/4 cup of Arugula Pesto with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a dash of red pepper flakes.
5. Check for flavor before mixing in the raw egg to ensure the seasoning is to your liking.
6. Pour about a cup of Tomato Basil into the roasting pan.
7. Add a heaping spoonful into each shell and place each stuffed shell on top of the Tomato Basil.
8. Add a second cup of Tomato Basil over the top of the shells, and sprinkle the remainder of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly.
9. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
11. While the shells are baking, mix up the salad.
12. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkling of grated parmesan.
13. Serve and devour.

If you made this, love it and find it very pretty to photograph, please share on Instagram and tag us! www.instagram.com/prettyprovisioned

Baked Tortellini (Quick & 100% Satisfying)

Our Alfredo sauce is just the yummiest. It is the best reward when a reward is just what you need. Also, my kids gobble anything up that has this sauce on it. Our Alfredo sauce is so good that my neighbor knocks on my door weekly, hoping I have a jar tucked away in my freezer for her. Which I usually do because it is my secret weapon. The combination of butter, cream, and parmesan cheese is 100% satisfying.

One evening, while making my grocery list for the next day, I stumbled upon a Food Network list of easy dinners, and a “Skillet Chicken Tortellini Alfredo” recipe got my attention. As usual, I immediately thought our Alfredo would be awesome in this. Not only was it amazing, but it was effortless to make, and if that wasn’t enough, my kids LOVED it. Yay! Sometimes I feel like making dinner is a crap shoot. Sometimes, you win big (sometimes, not so much), and this was a good night.

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Step By Step

1. Dumb entire contents of Pretty Sauced Alfredo into the pan and heat to a simmer.

2. Add tortellini and simmer until cooked through.

3. Add the sliced chicken.

4. Sprinkle bread crumbs, and fresh parmesan cheese on top.

5. Bake in the oven until chicken is just cooked through. It should be bubbling and starting to brown on top. About 10-15 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and sprinkle the chopped parsley.

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Interesting Add Ons

• peas

• spinach

• ham

• broccoli

• prosciutto

• Italian sausage

• Pretty Sauced Arugula Pesto

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Serve this glorious meal with a beautiful mixed green salad, and dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes!

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Alfredo For Days

Our Alfredo can make a flip-flop taste good, so get going and start cooking. If you loved it, let me know! Tag #prettyprovisioned and #prettysauced if you share. Stay tuned for more Pretty Sauced sauces recipes for your next incredibly easy and satisfying meal.

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Baked Tortellini Alfredo

Yield 4 servings

A quick, indulgent and delicious meal the whole family will LOVE using a jar of Pretty Provisioned Alfredo sauce.

Ingredients

• Jar of Pretty Sauced Alfredo
• 18 ounces of fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Dump entire contents or Pretty Sauced Alfredo and heat to a simmer
3. Add the tortellini and simmer until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake until the chicken is just cooked through, and the sauce starts to turn golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Finish with the chopped parsley.

If you made this, love it and find it very pretty to photograph, please share on Instagram and tag us! www.instagram.com/prettyprovisioned