Artichoke Onion Pasta

If anyone knows me, they know that pasta is a weakness for me.  I had a big day ahead of me for Tuesday, so I thought I would load up on carbs the night before and make the Artichoke Onion Pasta (page 68).  You can make this pasta as a side dish or a meal.  I decided that I would make it as a meal, but save some of it for the next day.

The marinated artichoke hearts with the pesto and tomatoes makes a delightful taste especially with the oregano.  One option is you can add chicken to the dish for some added protein, I substituted shrimp instead.  This dish is very easy and can be made rather quickly but will taste like you were in the kitchen for much longer. 

1 large onion, chopped fine
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 (7 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, reserve 3 tablespoons of liquid
28 ounces diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup prepared pesto
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces penne pasta, cooked and drained
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• Cook onion and garlic in reserved artichoke liquid for six to seven minutes until tender.
• Mix tomato, artichoke and oregano into onion mixture.
• Simmer for eight minutes; add prepared pesto and salt and heat for one additional minute
• Serve over penne pasta with Parmesan cheese.

To make sure that I had evenly coated the pasta, I mixed it all in a large bowl and then served

Serves 6
Preperation tine:  20 minutes
Cooking time:  15 minutes