Artichoke Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

It all started because there was a jar of marinated artichokes staring at me. Ok, so it wasn’t staring at me exactly. But it was sitting on my counter for longer than anything sits on my counter. So one day I thought I would pull together whatever else I had in the house and concoct something. This is, of course, my favorite way to cook!

An important thing to remember is ‘eating healthier’ doesn’t have to mean you ‘go without’. Moderation is a piece of that. So is smart substitutions. Although I’ve been gluten free for years, and there are good gluten free pastas out there, I have really grown to enjoy lentil pasta as an option. Particularly in the winter when spaghetti squash or my favorite spiralized zucchini from the farm market are harder to come by. There are a variety of options in most grocery stores now though so experiment for what you prefer. If you decide on a rice or pasta with less protein, you can ramp it up with some shrimp or chicken.

The first attempt at this one didn’t go quite right. The problem was I was working with ‘leftover’ ingredients and there just wasn’t quite enough of everything. Particularly the pesto. So here’s round two and I am very pleased. It seems simple, most ingredients straight from the pantry, but the flavors together are delightful.

One of the best things about this recipe is you can adjust any of these ingredients based on what you, your family, or guests prefer. I don’t understand those people who don’t like mushrooms, but they’re out there. So go ahead and modify if you need to.

Ingredients:
– Lentil Pasta (1 box)
– Artichokes (1 can)
– Sun-Dried Tomatoes (1/4 cup, drained and packed)
– Olives (about 1/4 cup, drained)
– Mushrooms (1/2 cup)
– Pesto (1 jar)
– Garlic (3 cloves, minced)
– Basil and Oregano (2 TBSP each, can substitute or add favorite herbs)
– Olive Oil

Kitchen Items You’ll Need:
– Mixing Bowl
– Pasta Pot

Cooking Instructions:               
1. Fill pot with water and boil for pasta. Once boiling, cook pasta for 8-10 minutes.
2. While you wait for water to boil, begin marinating artichokes in olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, and herbs. Mix and set aside.
3. Drain pasta and leave in strainer while you prepare vegetables.
4. In same pot you made pasta, heat 1-2 TBSP olive oil and add artichokes and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms start to soften.
5. Add olives, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto and cook until heated through.
6. Mix in pasta. Serve.