• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

July 14, 2011

A Frugal Summer Recipe…Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

bowtie-pesto-pasta3
Some of you know Vanessa and I had these whole other blog lives before we combined forces and created At The Picket Fence.  But many of our newest friends may not realize that we maintained two separate blogs before we landed here. Vanessa’s leaned toward decorating and home décor.  Mine mainly food. We both loved our other blogs but felt constrained by our choices to focus on such specific genres.  Hence why we decided At The Picket Fence would cover a broad range of topics, idea, projects, and inspiration.
When I decided to essentially shut down Gourmet Meals for Less, I feared losing touch with my “foodie side” just a little, and I have focused much more on home improvement, DIY projects and the such.  BUT, that does not mean that I don’t still L.O.V.E. to cook and to photograph my dishes!  In the past I have had several of my food photographs featured at many of the top Food Po..n um well um.. we’ll avoid that word since the spam might come out in full force, so we’ll just call them “Food Photography Addiction Sites.” You can see my features at Tastespotting, Foodgawker and Dessert Stalking to name a few.  I always get such a thrill when I see one of my photographs featured among such amazing talent!
One of my first friends at Gourmet Meals for Less was Jodie from Eatin’ on the Cheap! She taught me you could create delicious inexpensive cooking and beautiful photography out of the same dish! Her recipes are fabulous and frugal…her photography is amazing! When I saw Jodie’s recipe for Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes I had to try it!
Jodie has a great feature she does where she uses some type of canned meat, mainly tuna, and shows that you can make the most yummiest dishes out of the humblest of foods.  This dish did not disappoint!
bowtie-pesto-pasta2
I was able to make my own pesto from my fresh basil I keep by my back door and we roasted the first of our tomatoes.  Incorporating our own garden produce really cut down on the cost of this already inexpensive dish!

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes-Eatin’ On the Cheap

Serves 4


Ingredients:

2 cans tuna, drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 T olive oil
1 box ( 16 oz.) bowtie pasta
1 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
fresh black pepper
1 t. lemon zest
Parmesan cheese to serve


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Toss diced tomatoes with olive oil and roast until the tomatoes have softened, about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions, drain.
Toss pasta with pesto, tuna, roasted tomatoes, lemon zest, and black pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve!

bowtie-pesto-pasta
I’d love you to pay my friend Jodie a visit at Eatin’ On The Cheap! She has been a loyal friend of mine both at Gourmet Meals for Less and At The Picket Fence and besides…if you all are really nice to her maybe she’ll invite me down soon to her family’s fabulous winery in Tennessee! hint…hint Jodie…Winking smile 
Thank for cooking up some thing good with me…At The Picket Fence,
signature
This post is partying at the following places:

Wow Us Wednesday: Savvy Southern Style
Sizzle Into Summer: DIY by Design
House of Hepworths: Hookin Up with HOH
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
Stuff and Nonsense: Friday’s Unfolded
Little Brick Ranch: Foodie Friday
Designs By Gollum: Foodie Friday
Modern Country Style: Summer Loving Link Party

23 Comments Filed Under: Main Dishes, Recipes

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « A Potting Bench Love Story
Next Post: Welcome to Inspiration Friday No. 23! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    July 13, 2011 at 1:51 PM

    I will have to try this, Heather. My tomatoes and basil are ready to be harvested in the garden!

    Reply
  2. Honey at 2805 says

    July 13, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    Quick, easy and refreshing!

    Reply
  3. Deneen says

    July 13, 2011 at 2:07 PM

    This looks YUM!
    dreaming-n-color.blogspot.com

    Reply
  4. Pink Overalls @DIY Home Staging says

    July 13, 2011 at 6:43 PM

    This recipe looks like a keeper. It’s not only economical and easy, but has layers of flavors (just a guess!).

    I grow basil and tomatoes and make pesto, but never roasted my tomatoes. Thanks for the idea. This could be supper tonight.

    Reply
  5. Richella says

    July 13, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Wow–this looks really delicious. It’s hard to believe that something this lovely would qualify for “eating on the cheap.” Your food photos really ARE beautiful–I can see why they’d end up on food po_n sites!

    Reply
  6. Kim {Recipes To Run On} says

    July 13, 2011 at 3:23 PM

    Okay this sounds like the PERFECT summer~time dinner. Bookmarking now and can’t wait to try this! Have a great day!!!

    Reply
  7. Lynn Richards says

    July 13, 2011 at 11:48 PM

    O.K. girls, I’m all caught up and can I tell you-I feel so refreshed and happy after reading all the posts.
    LOVE this blog.
    xo
    lynn

    Reply
  8. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    July 14, 2011 at 2:21 AM

    Heather, this looks so good. I love pesto and pasta and will give this one a try. Thanks for sharing this at WUW.

    Reply
  9. Sweet Bee Cottage says

    July 14, 2011 at 2:59 AM

    Oh my stars! That looks so delicious! This is going on the family menu next week! Thank you!

    Reply
  10. Carol says

    July 14, 2011 at 3:27 AM

    Would love to sit at your table and enjoy this delicious dinner with you.

    Mom and Dad

    Reply
  11. Jedbel @ The Pear Tree Cottage says

    July 14, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    I can see why they featured your photographs, they are beautiful! I have to save this recipe and try it sometime. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    July 14, 2011 at 3:52 AM

    It looks wonderful Heather!! Congrats on the features of your beautiful food photos too! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Becca says

    July 14, 2011 at 12:47 PM

    YUMMMMMMMY !! This dish looks absolutely delicious, refreshing and would easily be devoured in our home. I’m taking note … thanks for sharing !! xo

    Reply
  14. Debbie says

    July 14, 2011 at 1:17 PM

    Heather, it looks delicious. One of my daughters is a tuna nut and would love this. I’m all about frugal meals and getting even MORE about them day by day. Yikes to the rising costs!

    Reply
  15. Ashley says

    July 14, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    ogoodness it looks so yummy!
    https://jaysonandashley.blogspot.com

    Reply
  16. Ivy and Elephants says

    July 14, 2011 at 7:42 PM

    Now I know what I’ll be having for dinner tonight! Thanks, you two always have something great going on.
    Hugs,
    Patti

    Reply
  17. Pamela says

    July 14, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    Looks super yummy!

    Reply
  18. Debbie@https://refreshrestyle.com/ says

    July 14, 2011 at 9:24 PM

    It looks great! I am so hungry!

    Reply
  19. classic • casual • home says

    July 15, 2011 at 3:46 AM

    Talk about mouth watering!!! I love that family photo and the covered books. So much inspiration.

    Reply
  20. Natasha in Oz says

    July 15, 2011 at 4:57 AM

    Yum! That looks so delicious and so simple too. I can see this is going to become a favourite go-to meal at our place!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha @ 5 Minutes Just for Me

    Reply
  21. Little Brick Ranch says

    July 15, 2011 at 11:14 AM

    This looks FABULOUS! I can’t believe you have ripe tomatoes already…I am so jealous but in the totally supportive and good way! 🙂 Your picture is super and makes me want to jump through the screen to take a bite!

    Thanks for linking up to Foodie Friday. I hope to see you again next week!!

    Reply
  22. JodieMo says

    July 16, 2011 at 12:37 PM

    The pillows are all fluffed! I am waiting for you to get here! I’ve got LOTS of wine for you to drink. :)Thanks for trying my recipe!!

    Reply
  23. Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage says

    August 24, 2011 at 2:51 PM

    This is a lovely dish! And beautiful too!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Why We’ve Chosen Vacations Over Projects April 26, 2022
  • A New Look for the Family Room March 1, 2022
  • Christmas Kitchen and Family Room December 19, 2021
  • Christmas Home Tour Part One December 10, 2021
  • Easy Hot Cocoa Station November 21, 2021

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 At The Picket Fence