Well Happy Monday to everyone. I finally made it over to Trader Joe’s on Saturday to pick up some artichokes. My SIL turned me onto these artichokes and I won’t be turning to any other brand, even though they are a little pricey – and I have been wanting them since Christmas when we had Christmas Eve pizza night (hopefully our new CE tradition!) and we made a veggie-GF pizza. These artichokes don’t have that odd tang or bite like normal canned ones – oh no, these boys are juicy and just plain yum. Make those babies and Italian spiced pumpkins seeds the main components in pesto? Amazing eats this week with this Italiano Artichoke Pesto – 2 Ways.

You may be wondering what the two ways of eating pesto is – well on pasta for one of course, and the other is pesto roasted veggies! I wanted to do some type of pesto with my Italiano spiced SuperSeedz pumpkin seeds and since I was going to TJ’s for the jars of artichokes I figured that was my pesto. But since I have made an artichoke and spinach pesto before I thought I would change the spices up and make it more like you were eating a really good marinara. Lots of dried basil, oregano, and parsley. And dried herbs means the longer it sets the better it gets cause the herbs wake up in that saucy goodness. So since no spinach in the pesto I sautéed some with garlic and made some awesome Ronzoni gluten-free spaghetti – which is becoming my most fave GF spaghetti; this pasta doesn’t turn weirdly mushy or fall apart like some other brands. Mix that all together and you have a great meal.

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But since I wanted some roasted veggies I figured I would cover some sweet potatoes and fresh green beans in artichoke pesto and bake it. So easy. Just wash the green beans and take the tops and ends off and wash and scrub sweet potatoes and chop into smallish like-size pieces then drop a couple spoonfuls of pesto on the veggies and use your washed hands to mix everything. Toss on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, taking out halfway through to turn everyone over. Take out and eat! There will be a lot of leftover pesto if you don’t make a big batch of pasta. You can freeze the pesto for later use, keep in the fridge to make nightly pastas for dinner, or you can just eat it with a spoon or over some toast – I think I better freeze mine, cause it is so freaking spoonfulicous!

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Italiano Artichoke Pesto,

2/3 C SuperSeedz Italiano Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
1 Jar Trader Joe’s Artichokes
2 Tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
1 Tsp Black Pepper
2/3 C Water

1. Toss all ingredients except water into a food processor. Turn processor on and slowly pour water through the top until everything is moving.
2. Let process two minutes.

Pesto Roasted Veggies,

2 Sweet Potatoes, washed, scrubbed, and chopped
1 lb Green Beans, washed
2 Heaping Tbsp Pesto
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash green beans and break off top and bottom ends. Toss into a large bowl.
3. Wash and scrub sweet potatoes and chop into small like-size pieces and toss into the bowl.
4. Dump two large tablespoons pesto and one tablespoon olive oil over veggies and mix with clean hands.
5. Dump onto non-stick sprayed baking sheet and spread out.
6. Bake 20 minutes then take out and mix then bake 20 more minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Pesto Spaghetti with Spinach for One,

2 oz Ronzoni Gluten-Free Spaghetti
2 C Fresh Spinach
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Italiano Artichoke Pesto

1. Boil water and cook spaghetti as directed on package.
2. Mince garlic and heat in one tablespoon olive oil and dump in fresh spinach. Saute until just soft.
3. Drain noodles then put right back in pot.
4. Add pesto and mix then toss in spinach and garlic.
5. Enjoy!

**I received the pumpkin seeds to review and use in a recipe – all opinions are obviously my own!