Summer Vegetable Pasta with White Wine Pesto Sauce

So it would appear I've got some 'splainin to do about where I've been for the past few months. Well, suffice it to say I've made several changes in my life and have been completely busy with them. I got engaged to a wonderful man, which was very exciting and of course, brings lots of wedding planning with it. I started back to school for my Masters degree, so the past several Saturdays have been spent in class. I'm also transitioning to a new job at work, so I've been busy closing out my current work load to prepare for the new job. So yeah, I've been busy! But enough about me - let's get to the food!

I'm not just saying this because I made it, but this is probably one of the best pasta dishes I've ever tasted. Not only is it tasty, it's extremely easy and took me about 20 minutes to make, from start to finish. And to top it all off, youhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif can substitute whatever vegetables you want to use. I used mushrooms, onion, and fresh tomatoes. But you got some zucchini you need to use up? Throw it in! Want to add some artichoke hearts or some sundried tomatoes? DO IT! Oh, and on top of it all, it's vegan if you use a vegan pesto sauce, like I did - so it's sure to please everyone.

This can be made one of two ways. You can either just toss the sauce with pasta and serve, or to make it extra special, top with breadcrumbs mixed with a drizzle of olive oil and bake for a few minutes. No matter how you make it, this is a pasta dish that is sure to please the masses!




Summer Vegetable Pasta with White Wine Pesto Sauce
Serves 4

4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 oz) container of sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 cup almond milk (or whatever milk you choose)
1/3 cup white wine (or sub with more milk)
1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce (either homemade or jarred)
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cooked pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Prepare pasta and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion and saute 2-3 minutes, until starting to soften. Add garlic and mushrooms. Saute another few minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and saute for another 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and wine. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes until starting to thicken up. Add pesto sauce and salt, and stir well. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta and tomatoes. You can either serve it at this point, or place into a greased casserole dish and top with a few tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs, mixed with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until sauce starts to bubble. Remove from oven and serve.