Cooking Dinner Together | Set Stalkers Collaboration

Presenter / Channel

• Lauren (live on YouTube) cooks with Devon from Set Stalkers.
• They reference a recipe they looked up online and use Trader Joe’s pasta.

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Ingredients (with quantities/substitutions mentioned)

Homemade pesto (for pesto pasta)

• Basil: 2 cups fresh basil
  • Note: they mention neighbors gave “all this basil”
• Parmesan cheese: 1/2 cup
  • Note: also referenced as being added later for a creamy sauce
• Pine nuts: 1/3 cup
• Garlic: 2 cloves
  • Added to the pesto blend
• Salt and pepper: to taste
• Olive oil: added while blending (amount not specified)

Equipment note: they make pesto using a blender (they no longer have a food processor).

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Roasted tomatoes (side; intended for pasta)

• Grape tomatoes: amount not specified
  • Wash them, then roast
• Garlic (chopped finely): added
• Seasonings: a little red pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning (amount not specified)
• Roasting temperature: 400°F

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Creamy pesto sauce (assembled with pasta)

• Heavy cream: 1/2 cup
  • Chef suggests they may want more than the recipe
• Milk: whole milk
  • Warning: don’t use 2% because it’s “Carlos’s milk”
• Cheese: Parmesan referenced as added to the creamy sauce
• Salt and pepper: to taste

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Meatballs (Devon decides to make these)

• Meatballs: from freezer (type/size not given)
• Cooking time referenced: about 30 minutes on a timer
  • Later: uncertain, check for 12 more minutes

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Pasta

• Trader Joe’s pasta: shape unclear; boil time discussed
• Timing guidance mentioned:
  • “7 to 8 minutes until drained”
  • then “10 to 15 minutes”
  • They later confirm it’s still hard before finishing with creamy sauce
• Assembly: pasta is cooked, then combined/tossed with creamy pesto sauce.

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Equipment & prep steps

• Garlic prep: cut garlic using a “grandma method” (cut, smash; peeling can be minimal/easier)
• Roasting setup: requires a baking/oven pan
• Blender/pesto tools: blender used; scrape down and blend again
• Cooking vessels:
  • pot for boiling pasta
  • pot/pan for creamy sauce
  • oven for tomatoes
• Timers: Alexa timers used (multiple adjustments)

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Step-by-step method (with key technique cues)

1) Make pesto (fresh)

1. Prep garlic: smash/cut so it peels/comes apart easily (grandma trick).
2. Blend pesto ingredients in a blender:
   • basil (2 cups)
   • pine nuts (1/3 cup)
   • garlic (2 cloves)
   • parmesan (1/2 cup)
   • salt & pepper
   • olive oil as needed
3. Blend until it becomes a pesto paste
   • They scrape down and keep blending (implied by comments like “trying to get it all”).
4. Set aside briefly while pasta cooks (“leave this sit here”).

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2) Boil pasta

1. Bring water to a boil; add pasta (lid on).
2. Cook until nearly done; they check and note it’s still kind of hard at one point.
3. Drain once it reaches the desired doneness (final doneness not fully nailed down, but they later say it’s “probably good” for assembly).

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3) Roast tomatoes

1. Wash and prep tomatoes (they mention needing to wash them, using a spin/wash method).
2. Toss in an oven pan with:
   • finely chopped garlic
   • red pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning
3. Roast at 400°F
   • Roasting time is not clearly specified (they later say tomatoes “are still in the oven”).

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4) Make creamy pesto sauce and combine

1. In a pot, add:
   • heavy cream (~1/2 cup)
   • parmesan
   • milk (whole milk is used)
2. Let thicken (“cook down and thicken a little bit”).
3. Add pesto and mix in
   • They confirm: “let’s add that pesto.”
4. Adjust consistency:
   • Chef suggests adding more milk if it gets too thick.
   • Explicit warning: avoid the wrong milk (2% “Carlos milk”); use whole milk.
5. Toss pasta into sauce:
   • They pour noodles in and mix.
   • Order is discussed, then pesto is added and combined.
6. If desired: add more pesto (“Just green it up.”).

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5) Meatballs (in sauce)

1. Simmer the sauce so it becomes flavorful.
2. Add meatballs to cook through.
3. Timer guidance:
   • set 30 minutes
   • later: potentially add 12 more minutes
4. Final: they decide “meatballs are done,” but also express uncertainty.

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6) Serve / assembly

• Dinner components:
  • creamy pesto pasta + meatballs
  • roasted seasoned tomatoes served alongside (kept separate/roasted for serving)
• They do a taste test before fully committing to the final serving.
  • They add garlic powder at the end.
• Overall feedback: “very good,” “scrumptious,” and the chef calls it a success.
• They mention turning off meatballs before eating.

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Chef tips / cues / common issues noted

• Shortcut garlic method: cut on both sides, smash—peels off easily.
• Pesto equipment swap: blender instead of food processor.
• Pasta doneness check: they taste actively (“still kind of hard”).
• Consistency control: use milk if sauce gets too thick; cream thickens.
• Don’t use the wrong milk: avoid 2% Carlos milk; use whole milk.
• Tomato timing: tomatoes roast separately and may still be in the oven while pasta is assembled.

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Variations mentioned

• Chicken vs meatballs:
  • They considered chicken but chose meatballs instead.
• Pesto pasta approach:
  • Based on an online recipe, but adapted into a creamy pesto sauce using heavy cream + cheese.
  • Tomatoes are mentioned in the online approach, but in their workflow the tomatoes stay separate and are served roasted.

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Serving notes

• Served as a full meal: creamy pesto pasta with meatballs, plus roasted seasoned tomatoes.
• They reference “adding pesto” and “turning off the meatballs” before eating.