Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Spinach Basil Pesto



Pesto sauce is one of the easiest sauces to put together. You throw a couple of ingredients in the blender and voila, your pasta sauce is ready. If you team it with whole wheat pasta and baked chicken, you have a wholesome healthy meal right there. It's a great way to get your greens in.

The spinach and basil complement each other beautifully, giving you a fresh burst of flavor. You can have fun with any number of combinations, though I feel the little bit of basil you add in really makes a huge difference. So, go to town with your experiments. Bon Appétit!



Ingredients:

  • 5 cups spinach, with stems cut and washed
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 4 cloves of garlic (if they're tiny ones, add more depending on your taste)
  • 4 tablespoons mix of roasted pine nuts and walnuts
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • Salt to season, if you like

Directions:
Add a few spinach leaves in the blender along with the garlic, basil leaves, nuts and one tablespoon of olive oil. Blend till finely grainy. Add more spinach leaves and olive oil, blend. Continue this process till you've added all the spinach and olive oil. Blend the parmesan cheese. Season and serve mixed with pasta.

There are certain variations to mixing it with your pasta. You can mix it with the pasta on a stove with medium low flame and let it cook for a few minutes. Or, you could put the pasta mixed with pesto in a baking dish, top with a little cheese and bake it.







4 comments:

  1. The two "p"'s here make a great pair. Pasta and pesto are a lunch favorite for me. This looks delicious. I see that you have changed over to this blog and I am now following. I hope you set up a new profile or changed your old with foodbuzz. Have a great day!

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  2. Oooh, I love pesto! Such a delicious dish and your pictures are incredible!

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  3. Tina - Thanks so much for the support! I've updated my profile on Foodbuzz too :D

    Ann - Thank you so much!

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  4. i'm sure you've been told, but you take the most beautiful photos. i love the idea of pesto in that little white jar. gorgeous!

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