Pasta, pesto, and peas: When all it takes to get dinner on the table is mixing some pesto, peas, and parmesan into a bowl of pasta.

OK, so I was a little skeptical when I heard that my friend, Elizabeth, chose this recipe for the first official (Herbed-Baked Eggs was a trial run) of the Barefoot Bloggers ode to Ina cooking and baking blogging group (which by the way, is up to 67 members!).  I don’t know what it was – probably the peas that I’m never thrilled with…and after reading the comments in the Musings posts that the dish has mayo WITH pesto, my skepticism jumped a little.

This is why I’ve started this group.  There are so many Ina recipes that I come across and turn my nose up at because of how my brain processes the combination of ingredients – before allowing my mouth to try the food.  And I should know by now how tried and true so many of her recipes are – I should trust more.

Trust I did this week.  And I LOVED this pasta pesto and peas dish!!  I cut way back on the mayo – to probably about 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp, just enough to help further emulsify the pesto mixture.  I halved the recipe and was still left in an insane amount of pesto mixture which I had to throw out because I’m away on business this week and since Kyle’s recent bout of “food poisoning” (where I wasn’t sick in the least) with the spinach pesto sauce I made a couple of months ago, he wouldn’t even touch this one.

And it’s a shame he won’t eat it because I made the pesto especially for him without nuts because he’s allergic to them – although the pesto was amazing!!  Next time, I’ll  consider buying the pesto if I’m in a pinch.  I used whole wheat pasta and served it alongside a nice lean flank steak I seasoned with some herbes de provençe and threw on the grill.

What a nice complement to each other!  The pesto was outstanding with the steak!!

So that’s it from me this week.  As you read this, I’ll be in DC at a conference my job is hosting (and that I planned!) and will return on Saturday.  I’ll be keeping up with BB requests as they come in while I’m gone.  To see how the other rest of the BB group did with their first recipe, check out the Who’s Turn Is It? page on the BB blog.

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May BB recipe: Herbed-Baked Eggs from Barefoot in Paris as chosen by moi

Next June recipe (for June 26th): Parmesan Chicken from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

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  • […] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptOK, so I was a little skeptical when I heard that my friend, Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food, chose this recipe for the first official (Herbed-Baked Eggs was a trial run) of the Barefoot Bloggers ode to Ina cooking and baking blogging group … […]

  • June 12, 2008 at 7:41 AM

    Your pasta salad looks good! I also too cut down on the mayonnaise but added extra olive oil.

    Nice photos!

  • June 12, 2008 at 8:05 AM

    Your pasta looks so wonderful-so fresh. I love the bright green hue and I loved the taste of my pasta also. I’m having fun using my extra pesto now, too.

  • June 12, 2008 at 8:35 AM

    Your pasta looks great Tara! My initial reaction to the recipe was the same as yours and I too, really ended up enjoying this one. Thanks again for coming up with Barefoot Bloggers. I’m so happy to be a part of this group. 🙂

  • BMK
    June 12, 2008 at 8:46 AM

    Looks good. Too bad you had to waste the pesto. Pesto without mayo freezes really well. Love the idea of serving it with steak.

  • June 12, 2008 at 9:24 AM

    Looks delish! Thanks for starting this group, it is a great way to try delicious recipes and share them.

  • June 12, 2008 at 9:56 AM

    Nice pics! This isn’t one I would have tried on my own, but I love it.

  • June 12, 2008 at 10:15 AM

    Isn’t it funny, I skip recipes for the same reason – you think about the combo of ingredients and it turns you off – but then you try it and WOW!

  • June 12, 2008 at 11:24 AM

    I used fresh peas for this, and I really liked it that way. Isn’t the color beautiful?

  • June 12, 2008 at 11:43 AM

    Lovely pasta and it does make a nice compliment with steak!

  • June 12, 2008 at 11:48 AM

    I get like you do also with turning my nose up at certain ingredients

  • June 12, 2008 at 12:10 PM

    Thanks for starting this group! Love it!

  • June 12, 2008 at 12:16 PM

    Looks wonderful! I was so excited to make this and we loved it too!

  • Kelly D
    June 12, 2008 at 1:27 PM

    It looks perfect, nuts or not. Too bad your spouse wasn’t up for it but I could see where it might not be appetizing after food poisoning.

  • June 12, 2008 at 2:52 PM

    Yum! That sounds so good with the steak and pesto combo. Way to go! 🙂

  • Melissa
    June 12, 2008 at 4:06 PM

    I felt the same way you did about trying the pesto, but I am so glad I did! Yours looks delicious!

  • June 12, 2008 at 7:50 PM

    Yours and mine look very much alike. I didn’t realize that there was too much mayo until I tasted it, so you’re one step ahead of me. Great job and thanks for starting this group!

  • June 12, 2008 at 9:02 PM

    It looks delicious! Great job! I probably should have cut back on my mayo too…I had an insane amount of pesto sauce and pasta!

  • June 13, 2008 at 2:44 AM

    Your salad looks great! I was skeptical as well–more for the pesto than anything but I really liked it too. Thanks for starting the Barefoot Bloggers it is fun to try things you would not normally make!

  • June 14, 2008 at 12:57 AM

    I loved this recipe. I cut way back on the mayo too. and the pesto. But I really should of cut the whole recipe in half because it does make a ton.

  • June 16, 2008 at 8:32 PM

    that look so springy fresh! yum!

  • June 18, 2008 at 10:55 AM

    Your pesto is so gorgeous and green! I knew I should have put that spinach in there! oh well. Can’t wait for Parm Chix next week!

  • June 12, 2009 at 6:29 AM

    […] One year ago: Pasta, Pesto, and Peas […]