15 Minute Pesto Pasta [+ Video]

Pesto pasta is a fresh, flavor-packed dish made with al dente penne, homemade basil pesto, and a touch of garlic and parmesan. It’s quick to whip up, full of bright, herby goodness, and perfect for tossing together on a busy night. All you need is a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes – yes, really!

This pesto pasta is fresh, flavorful, and ridiculously easy to throw together. The homemade basil pesto is rich with garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts, and it clings perfectly to every bite of penne. We’ve been making it since our basil started taking over the garden, and it’s still a favorite. Tossed, stirred, and devoured in minutes – this dish never lets us down.

Fresh basil has a way of sneaking into just about everything we make during the warmer months. Whether it’s tucked into a cheesy pasta or layered into something heartier, the flavor is always a hit around our table. When the mood calls for something extra cozy, we’ll go for our 20-Minute Cheesy Pesto Pasta – it’s like this dish’s rich, melty cousin. Or if we’re feeling that casual backyard dinner vibe, a slice of Pesto Pepperoni and Sausage Grilled Pizza totally hits the spot. And if you haven’t tried our Creamy Chicken Pesto Lasagna, you’re seriously missing out!

Ingredients for Pesto Pasta

This pesto pasta is proof that simple really can be spectacular. Just grab a few fresh staples, give them a whirl in the food processor, and boom – pasta night perfection.

• Penne Pasta: The perfect pasta shape to catch all that gorgeous pesto sauce in every nook and cranny. Spaghetti or rotini work well too!
• Pine Nuts: Lightly toasted for that buttery, nutty flavor that makes pesto sing. If you don’t have these in the pantry, walnuts or almonds are a good backup.
• Garlic: Adds a bold, savory depth to the pesto. We’re using fresh cloves for that extra zing!
• Sweet Basil: The star of the show. Use fresh basil leaves, packed tightly for the best flavor. No dried stuff here!
• Olive Oil: Helps everything blend smoothly and adds that classic richness. Stick with extra virgin for the best taste.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated is best – trust us. Adds saltiness and a creamy texture to the pesto.
• Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper: Just a pinch or two to bring everything into balance.

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Instant Pot Quick and Easy Ground Beef Burrito Bowls

This Instant Pot Ground Beef Burrito Bowl is the ultimate weeknight dinner—quick, flavorful, and packed with protein! Tender ground beef is seasoned with bold spices, then cooked to perfection with rice and black beans all in just 10 minutes!

Top it off with fresh toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado for a meal that’s satisfying, customizable, and ready in no time. It’s a regular on our dinner menu for busy nights when you want a delicious, one-pot dinner!

Family dinner ideas that are quick and easy are something that I am always on the hunt for! The flavor of this is fantastic but my very favorite part, aside from the fact that you can add in or substitute anything you want, it’s done in 10 minutes! Do you hear that?! DINNER IN TEN MINUTES!

Quick and Easy Dinners

Life is so busy especially with three kids who are all in completely different stages of life. We are constantly on the go. We need meals that are healthy, quick, and kid friendly. Some of our favorites are 20 Minute Cheesy Pesto Pasta, 20 Minute Cherry Tomato Basil Angel Hair Pasta, 15 Minute Chicken Stir Fry, 15 Minute Pesto Pasta, and 15 Minute Beef Stir Fry.

These Instant Pot Quick and Easy Ground Beef Burrito Bowls are being added to that list. They are so flavorful and my kids love them! They can put whatever toppings they want on their own bowl. It not only allows them to be creative in the kitchen, but they are also more likely to eat something they have helped cook.

Ingredients for Ground Beef Burrito Bowls

I always like to include a quick list of ingredients so our readers can get a glimpse of everything they will need ahead of time. For all the details and measurements needed, keep scrolling down to the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Ground Beef: We almost always use 85/15 ground beef when it comes to cooking. It has just enough fat to maintain the flavor without being too greasy.
• Olive Oil: used to sauté the onions
• Onion: adds flavor
• Seasonings: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder, Cumin, Coriander, Oregano and Salt
  • NOTE: For an even bigger shortcut, swap these with 2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning.
• Rice: just regular long grain white rice works great
• Read more

Easy Sizzling Italian Spaghetti Aglio e Olio [+Video]

This simple and delicious Italian dish is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Learn how to make spaghetti aglio e olio with just a few ingredients and enjoy a flavorful sizzle in every bite.

This recipe was born because our sizzling Italian dipping oil for bread was going crazy on Instagram so I thought…I bet if I tossed this herbaceous oil with some pasta that it would be outrageous! And boy was I right! The whole family gobbled this up and now we are having it on the reg. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Oh and did I mention that it’s so quick and easy?! Dinner on the table in 20 minutes! I know all you busy parents will love that!

What is Aglio e Olio?

Directly translated from Italian, “spaghetti aglio e olio” means “spaghetti with garlic and oil.” It’s a classic Italian pasta dish where spaghetti is tossed with a hot garlic and oil sauce. I’ve also seen it called “midnight spaghetti” because it’s so quick and easy to make and can be thrown together for a late night snack. If this is how midnight snacks go in Italy, count me in!

Ingredients for Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

It only takes a few simple ingredients to make this spaghetti recipe, so head to the fresh herbs section of your produce section and you are just a few more ingredients away from a simple pasta dinner:

• Olive Oil: helps cook the garlic and acts as the sauce for the pasta
• Garlic: be sure to use fresh garlic
• Fresh Herbs: Parsley, Oregano (or Marjoram), Rosemary and Basil
• Red Pepper Flakes: adds flavor and a little heat
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor
• Balsamic Vinegar: adds acidity and a little sweetness
• Fresh Spaghetti: buy it at the store or make your own
• Parmesan: Pasta is always better with parm!

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Two Ways to Make Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

There are two ways you can make the hot sizzling oil spaghetti and it all depends on how you want the garlic…the “aglio” in our aglio olio! Both versions only take 20 minutes to get on the table! I’ll walk you through each method. Before you start, make sure you get some water heating up and boil your pasta until al dente.

Toasted Garlic

1. Mix: Place all the herbs and spices in a shallow bowl and mix to combine.
2. Heat: Add the oil to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and let it toast.
   • PRO TIP: Pay close attention to the garlic because it will brown quickly and you do

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole [+Video]

This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is our quick & easy dinner recipe with chopped chicken, ham, and a creamy Swiss Dijon sauce. It is an easy dinner recipe!

Ok listen, college Carrian was a different Carrian. I was just trying to survive all the things and have a dang good time. Money? Not really. Time? None. Skill? I mean, I could make a few things…

Law and Order SVU? Yes.

My second year of college a roommate introduced me to Law and Order SVU. About once a week we’d watch an episode while we ate either a freezer chicken cordon bleu or a New York Burrito from the other side of town. Those frozen chicken cordon blue’s were fancy and I would savor every bite.

I no longer can stomach the show, once you have kids all of that content is a bit much for the soul. And I can’t really get behind that frozen log of chicken, so I needed a new recipe to bring back the nostalgia and this casserole is exactly that.

What is Chicken Cordon Bleu?

Chicken cordon bleu is a French dish where chicken is wrapped around ham and cheese, breaded and pan fried or deep fried. This casserole recipe uses all the classic chicken cordon bleu flavors without the tedious task of creating and frying the rolled chicken. It’s sort of a deconstructed, simpler version of chicken cordon bleu, if you will.

Ingredients for Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Grab that leftover Easter ham and then pull out your grocery shopping list and jot down whatever you are missing from this ingredients list…

• Olive Oil
• Chicken Breasts
• Unsalted Butter
• Flour
• Chicken Broth
• Whole Milk
• Dijon Mustard
• Nutmeg
• Garlic Powder
• Lemon Juice
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Ham
• Swiss Cheese
• Butter
• Panko Bread Crumbs

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the measurements for each ingredient.

How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Casseroles are a total comfort food, and this chicken cordon bleu casserole is creamy, rich and indulgent. It’s so quick and easy to make. Here are the steps:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ and spray a 9×13″ baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook the Chicken: Add oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then add it to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5-7 minutes per side. Once cooked through, remove to a cutting board and let it rest before chopping.
3. Create the Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat then whisk in the flour and let it bubble until golden brown. Slowly pour in the broth and milk and whisk until thickened. Whisk in the rest of the sauce ingredients.
4. Make the Casserole: Ad

Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup [+Video]

This Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup is the perfect cozy meal for a chilly day. Loaded with hearty vegetables and tender chicken, it’s a delicious twist on classic chicken soup. Plus, it can be made in just minutes using an Instant Pot. Watch the video for step-by-step instructions!

The yummiest Instant Pot chicken soup recipe I’ve ever made! It is healthy, quick and easy. This might just be my new favorite chicken soup!! And that is saying a lot because I LOVE so many soups. Pure comfort food!

If you haven’t tried “The Soup“, you have to do that! It is a staple around here, but this new Italian chicken soup recipe is light, but filling, and so, so flavorful.

And then there is our chicken tortilla soup, which is the best chicken tortilla soup that has ever existed, but still, there’s something about this Italian chicken soup that just hits the spot for me! You have to try it!

With the Instant Pot, you end up with a soup in less than an hour that tastes like it has been simmering all day!

Ingredients Needed for Instant Pot Chicken Soup

This soup is packed with veggies, rotisserie chicken, fresh herbs and orzo and topped with Parmesan and chunks of crusty bread. I’ve also seen it called chicken pastina soup or penicillin soup because it’s so nourishing to the soul that it will cure anything that ails you! Head down to the recipe card for the exact measurements, but here is your grocery list:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Vegetables: Yellow Onion, Garlic, Carrots, Celery and Tomatoes
• Water or Chicken Broth
• Better than Bouillon Chicken (not needed if you use chicken broth)
• Seasonings: Bay Leaves, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper
• Herbs: Fresh Parsley and Fresh Basil
• Orzo Pasta
  • NOTE: If you want to keep this gluten-free, skip the orzo and bread chunks.
• Rotisserie Chicken
• Lemon
• Parmesan Cheese
• Bread (optional)

How to Make Italian Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot

Your going to want to start this recipe by chopping all the veggies so that they are ready to add at the appropriate time. I know most people hate chopping veggies, but I kind of like it. Does that make me the nerdiest? Once the veggies are chopped, you are ready to start cooking.

1. Sauté the veggies in the Instant Pot.
2. Add broth, bay leaves, minced garlic and S&P.
3. Place lid on and set valve to sealing position.
4. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
5. Cook the orzo in a pot on the stove top and then drain it while running it under cold water.
6. Quick release the pressure cooker and remove the bay leaves.
7. Add the chopped tomato, cooked orzo, shredded chicken (see next section) and herbs and place the lid