Wednesday, June 15, 2011

15 minute Turkey Pesto Shells with Grilled Artichoke Hearts (Plus a vegetarian version)



Since I’m tormenting myself with a math class this summer lets work out a little word problem together.

A typical college math professor can do your 40 pages of math instruction and example problems with time consuming videos and sixty extra homework questions in 4.2534 seconds. Then said professor somehow works out an equation that it should take each student four hours a night to complete what they themselves can do in those measly 4.2534 seconds.

So tell me, how much time did it take a certain student to do those 4 hours of math? Don’t forget on top of this, this student had to figure out a new and very convoluted computer program before she could start.

Ready? If you did your math right it would be 14 hours. Yes, that’s right. 14 hair pulling hours.

So dinners are thrown together this week with whatever’s in the cupboard. Last night was tortilla soup from a mix and this pasta was crazy quick with canned turkey, pesto and artichokes.

Please forgive me for not visiting your blog if you leave a comment right now. I also hope you’re having a nice summer for me and I miss seeing what's cooking in food blog land!

15 minute Turkey Pesto Shells with Grilled Artichoke Hearts
Printer Version
For a vegetarian version, microwave a half-cup of pine nuts in 30-second increments until toasted in place of turkey.


13.25 ounce whole grain medium shells
7.5 ounce jar halved and grilled in oil artichoke hearts (found at Cost Plus World Market)
12.5 ounce can Turkey Breast in water, drained and rinsed
6.25 ounce jar pesto
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add a couple minutes if you prefer a less whole wheat texture to your pasta. Set aside about 1 cup of pasta water near the end of cooking time.

2. Drain the oil from the artichoke hearts into a large serving bowl. Cut the artichokes into quarters and add to the bowl. Add the turkey, pesto and cheese. Toss to combine.

3. Drain pasta and add it to the bowl. Toss to combine. Add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Add some of the pasta water if needed. Sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.


10 comments:

Krysta said...

Oh, I am in an artichoke kind of mood! I will definitely be giving this a try.

Joanne said...

Ugghhh math hell. I totally remember that. Problem sets occasionally took us WHOLE DAYS to do. Yuck. I send you love and luck.

I love your veg version of this! Mmm pesto and artichokes...two of my summer favorites!

Monica said...

I don't envy your math homework! I hope it goes quicker for you next time! This recipe is great because I just froze 9 cups of turkey!

Veronica Miller said...

Ugh, I deplore math. To the point that I've forgotten some of the simplest math and had to buy multiplication flashcards to refresh my memory before an upcoming test at works that includes math. More power to you, girlfriend. You're doing this for a reason, just remember!

Amee said...

No apology needed, Laura! You are awesome for taking math and attacking the enemy! And honestly, the Throw-it-together meals are the ones readers will most likely make because we are all scavenging our kitchens trying to make dinner happen with "scraps"

Morgan said...

Oh wow! The veggie version is definitely on my to-try list! Sounds soooo good.

Mads said...

Sometimes these recipes are just what the doctor ordered.
I do a similar recipe with some pine nuts and sundried tomatoes thrown in.

Good luck on your math business, that sounds terrible. I will be there with you in solidarity in a few weeks...research stats class!

Cathy said...

Quick and easy recipes re a life saver when life gets too crazy. College math was almost my downfall. It sure felt good when I finished the course.

Sue said...

Oh my gosh, you are a dedicated student, Laura. In addition to pulling out hair, I guarantee I would have been in tears! Good luck, and I hope it gets easier:)
Thanks for the favoful, quick recipe. It contains all the ingredients I like and I'm going to print it out now:)

Simones Kitchen said...

I can still vividly remember the math issues I had to face back in highschool. Never my favorite subject really! So it's impressive on it's own right that you're doing a math course really and then to spend so many hours doing homework. Impressed again. I love quick dishes like this so look great to me!

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