Creamy Verde Orecchiette
"I absolutely love this dish and making it for people! Whenever my mom has to bring something in to work, I immediately know that that means she's putting me to work, and gladly because it's so simple. We're from Miami, so it's always summer- so we get to enjoy this year round, and swap out the vegetables added in. This dish is super refreshing because of the fresh ingredients, its cool nature, the crunch from the broccoli, and the added zing from the vinegar. The small amount of vinegar is the key ingredient that cuts through the flavors of the sauce to add the surprise factor people crave. As a World Language teacher, I get to also sneak in teaching the color green in another language- so I have fun with that too! Queso Fresco is also a great swap for feta as is Greek yogurt for the plain. The first time I made the pasta for my family, I wanted to focus on what we had in the pantry, and there was born my Creamy Verde Orecchiette Pasta- summer ready, versatile, and easy."
Serves10
Preparation Time20 min
Cooking Time15 min
Recipe CourseSide Dish
Type of DishPasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound Orecchiette pasta
- 1 cup Pesto
- 1 Avocado
- 1 cup Cilantro
- 1 cup Plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 (16-ounce) Spinach
- 2 1/2 cups Broccoli florets, chopped
- 1 Rotisserie chicken
- 3 cups Crumbled feta
Instructions:
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Cook the pasta, according to package directions, until it is al dente. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pasta, and place it in a large container or bowl. Place it in the fridge to cool.
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Verde Sauce: While the pasta is cooking, blend together the pesto, avocado, cilantro, yogurt, vinegar, and 2 tbsp. of the pasta water until smooth.
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While the pasta cools, blanch the spinach in the hot water. Remove with tongs. Place the spinach in a sieve. Use the tongs to press down on the spinach to press out as much liquid as possible. Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute to keep it crisp. Strain. Add both the spinach and broccoli to the container of pasta. Keep it in the fridge.
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Hand shred the chicken.
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Toss everything together- the pasta, spinach, broccoli, verde sauce, shredded chicken, and crumbled feta. Enjoy at the summer potluck.
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Princess Carolyn
Jun 30, 2017
This looks really yummy! I love orecchiette pasta, and this looks like a great recipe.
Lynn K
Jun 30, 2017
Such a lovely chicken pasta dish. The feta brings a wonderful flavor, so does the cilantro and the different textures make it a really interesting dish to eat. We cooked the chicken ourselves with some chopped fresh garlic and a little chopped fresh chili but it would be just as good without.
FoodLover
Jun 30, 2017
The best recipes are created out of a need and what you have. That is when you can be the most creative is by working with what you have and that is a sign of a good cook! So thank you Ashley for sharing your idea. I agree with the vinegar zing making a big difference. Also if you cook the broccoli a little too long you could immediately submerge it in ice and ice cold water to keep it crispy. Obviously that only works if the broccoli is not overcooked.
Edmund K
Jun 29, 2017
I love pasta salads during the summer, and this is a really tasty recipe to make. I've often made pasta salads with conchiglie (small shells) and I haven't really used orecchiette before, so this gives me something new to try. This sounds like a nice light meal to serve or to bring to a picnic/potluck and we'll definitely be trying this out.
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