Crab Linguine with Spicy Walnut Pesto & Springy Green Onions

This quick pasta dish celebrates simple, good quality ingredients. A spicy walnut pesto gently coats the linguine pasta, while sweet, delicate lump crab meat offers a decadent touch. Springy green onions and lemon zest add a bright, fresh taste to the dish.

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Crab Linguine with Spicy Walnut Pesto & Springy Green Onions
Serves 4

Pasta Ingredients:

1 lb linguine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped green onions
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced(reserve lemon juice for the pesto)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 lb lump crab meat

Spicy Walnut Pesto Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups packed basil leaves
3/4 cup walnuts1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (see above)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Serve with: Lemon wedges and grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Make the walnut pesto by combining all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blending until smooth. Set aside.

2. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Generously salt the water and cook the linguine until al dente, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking together. Reserve a cup of the hot cooking water and drain the pasta.

3. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and green onions and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and lemon zest, and stir to combine.

4. Deglaze the pan with the wine and continue cooking until wine is reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes.

5. Add the crabmeat and cook until the crab is just heated through, about 1 minute. (If possible, choose jumbo lump crab meat which is comprised of deliciously satisfying, large pieces of crab.)

6. Add the pasta, a tablespoon of the reserved cooking liquid, and the pesto. Cook for another minute, tossing with tongs until the linguine is coated and the ingredients are well combined. Add more pasta cooking liquid to thin if needed.

7. Serve with lemon wedges and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan. Enjoy while piping hot.

Weeknight Chicken Parmesan

To us, Chicken Parmesan is the definition of comfort food! With a hearty red sauce, bubbly cheese, and perfectly breaded, tender chicken cutlets served over a plate of pasta, what's not to love? Our recipe includes a few shortcuts making this delicious dish very doable even on a weeknight! We think you'll love it!

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Weeknight Chicken Parmesan
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 pieces of thinly-sliced chicken breast
2 eggs
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup olive oil for pan-frying chicken
4 tablespoons butter, for pan-frying chicken
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
8 slices provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken. Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese in a separate, shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast first into the eggs, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Spoon the breadcrumbs on top of the chicken until well-coated on both sides. Set aside on a plate until ready to pan-fry.

2. In an oven-safe skillet or braiser, add 1/8 cup of olive oil to the pan, and 1 tablespoon of butter under each chickenbreast. Cook the chicken over medium heat until browned and crispy on both sides. Turn the heat down slightly, and continue cooking the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Depending on the size of the pan, work in batches so that the chicken has plenty of room to cook without touching any other piece. This will help to keep the breading intact and to cook evenly.

3. Once all the chicken has cooked, add the 4 pieces back into the skillet. Spoon yourfavorite jarred marinara sauce over each cooked piece of chicken. Add 2 slices of provolone cheese on top of each sauced chicken breast.

4. Broil until the cheese is bubbling and just beginning to brown.

5. Serve the chicken on a bed of thin spaghetti with a little extra warmed sauce, or with a crisp, green, side salad.

Pea Pesto Pasta

A good pasta dish can transform everyday ingredients into something extraordinary any day of the week. Springtime flavors inspire this fresh take on pasta. We think your family will love this super-quick, spring pea pesto pasta dish. Buon appetito!

Spring Pea Pesto Pasta
Serves 4

Spring Pea Pesto Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon packed fresh mint leaves
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 small clove fresh garlic

Pasta:
1 lb thin spaghetti

Garnish:
1 pint Sun Gold tomatoes, halved
8 oz burrata cheese
Mint leaves, chiffonade
Basil leaves, chiffonade
Lemon zest

Directions:
1. Gather all of the pesto ingredients together. Be sure to thoroughly wash all of the fresh herbs! Pulse the pesto ingredients together in a food processor. Taste test the pesto, and adjust the salt and pepper accordingly. If needed, add more olive oil for a thinner consistency. Enjoy pesto immediately, or keep covered and refrigerated (or even frozen) until ready to use.

2. Slice the tomatoes in half with a small paring knife. Roll the basil and mint leaves and cut in a chiffonade cut for a garnish.

3. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. For better pasta, salt the water! The cooking water should be “like the sea” – start with about 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt per quart of water. This seems like a lot of salt, and it is, but most of this will be discarded when the pasta is drained. Test the pasta frequently as it approaches completion. Pasta should be cooked to al dente – “to the tooth” – tender, yet chewy, not at all mushy. The easiest way to check for doneness, is to remove a piece of pasta and test between your teeth. Or, cut a piece of test pasta, and check the cross section view. The smallest white dot, or white line at the center of the pasta piece indicates doneness is nearly at hand.

4. Mix the pesto with the drained and cooked pasta, stir with tongs until the pasta is well-coated with the pesto. Add reserved pasta water, to thin the sauce, if needed. 5. Garnish the pasta with the tomato halves, pieces of fresh burrata, mint, and basil leaves. Enjoy!