
We absolutely love pasta dishes! Barilla has always been a favorite brand of ours. Trust me, when I say we have tried many, many pasta brands throughout the years. When it comes to quality at affordable prices I have always reach for Barilla. They tasked us with creating a pesto dish, hence: Pesto Sauce Recipe featuring Barilla was created utilizing the samples sent.
What is pesto sauce you might ask? I know my son did when I told him what I was making. Think of it as a nutty mixture with basil greens and usually crushed garlic. Instead of whipping out your food processor to make pesto, try one of the latest barilla products, Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto. It is so versatile because it can be used in a variety of different ways. Just picture a nice slice of bread dripped with olive oil, pesto and some sea salt. YUM!

For today’s recipe inspiration, I am making a dish which uses up items you probably already have in your kitchen. Let’s create while using what we have on han, with a few Barilla products to make a side, lunch or even dinner with. What you will need:
1/2 box of cooked Barilla noodles ( I used elbows but you can use any style. Use directions on box to cook)
2-3 tbs. Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto
Fresh Cherry tomatoes or 1 can of diced tomatoes
Cooked shredded chicken ( you can use a rotisserie)
Optional Spinach or parmesan cheese
Mix together cooked noodles, pesto, sliced tomatoes, rotisserie and spinach in a bowl. I had some cherry tomatoes from our garden ( side note: my tomato plants have exploded) to use. Add the desired amount of pesto to taste. I prefer my pasta dishes on the dryer side so I went lighter on the pesto sauce. We made this for a lunch. You can always make more if you wanted a dinner option though. Add some parmesan cheese if you wish, dress it up or down this dish is delicious.

What I like about this particular pesto sauce is the variety of meals you can make. Spread it onto sandwiches, toast, use it to marinate meats or vegetables. You can even use it as a dip ( just pair it with veggies or pita chips)! The convenience of having it premade in a jar helps my busy heart. No longer do I have to worry about what we will have for a quick dinner or lunch. For other Barilla recipe inspiration, visit barilla.com.