Almost Classic Pesto for Summer

A frequent collaborator with the Family, Health & Well-Being program, Community Connections asked me to join them at a workshop where they spoke about the benefits of growing our own food. To promote the use of homegrown herbs, I was asked to share an herb based recipe. Naturally, my thoughts went to pesto. Full of delightfully intense flavors, it is one of my favorite toppings for pasta dishes. However as most of us are aware, a small amount of pesto packs a large number of calories from the olive oil, parmesan cheese and the pine nuts. Not to mention that those ingredients can be pricey. So we made an adaptation to Almost Classic Basil Pesto, from Nutrition Action. The response from all who tried it….yum, delicious!

Using a food processor on pulse, combine the ingredients below until they are uniformly sized, minced and blended together. It is important to remember that pesto should not be cooked. The heat of the food provides all the necessary warmth.

¼ cup toasted pine nuts or almonds or walnuts

¼ cup grated parmesan or sharp cheddar cheese

1 clove garlic

4 cups basil leaves, washed

4 cups washed baby spinach leaves or spring mix greens

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper to taste.

As is, this makes a great tasting pesto and depending on your choice regarding the substitutions, the cost can be considerably lower than classic pesto. It is an easy recipe to cut in half, although when I did, I used the full amount of garlic. To reduce the overall calories and make the pesto go further, stir in 1 to 2 cups of plain non-fat yogurt, either Greek or traditional. The choice should be made based on the desired thickness. Greek yogurt works great for topping potatoes or as a vegetable dip and the thinner regular yogurt works well on pasta. You may want to warm the yogurt before adding the pesto to avoid over cooling whatever you are topping.

It was delicious over a mushroom, onion, quinoa and scallop stir-fry. Use your imagination and enjoy! 

Last updated June 1, 2015