Pesto Makes the Meal

Posted by Stephanie Gallagher Jun 1, 2007

In the summer, I don't like to spend much time cooking. It's not just because it's so hot outside, it's that we're often out late with swim team practice or taking a late walk before dinner. So I've created some simple summer dishes that can be made in 15 minutes or less, and they all start with my favorite spinach pesto.

I make up a big batch of the pesto, then just pop it in the fridge and use it all week. Last night, I made some orzo (tiny little pasta that looks almost like rice), roasted some shrimp (but you could also grill the shrimp if you prefer), and tossed them together with about a cup of the spinach pesto. Voila! A healthy homemade dinner in 15 minutes.

Tonight I'm going to make pesto pizza. I make a homemade pizza dough in the bread machine, which takes about five minutes. I just put the ingredients in, set it on the dough cycle, and in two hours I have a perfect pizza dough. But if you don't have a bread machine, you can use refrigerated pizza dough or a pizza shell, like a Boboli shell.

Then I top it with my spinach pesto, 1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, 1 small can of sliced black olives, 1 cup of chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese (the smoked mozzarella is the best). I pop it all in a 475 degree oven, and it's ready in 12 to 15 minutes.

Tomorrow, I'll make my juicy southwestern burgers and top them with the spinach pesto and chopped tomatoes. That's three quick and easy dinners with one ingredient. Now that's what I call smart summer cooking.