Spinach Herb Pistachio Pesto - 7.5g Carbs, 2.9g Fiber, 2g Sugar {Recipe mentions pasta but this is not included with the nutrition. Get creative with how you use this adding in any carbs you may add. Try it with spaghetti squash! Take care, Gloria} From: www.plantpoweredkitchen.com - by Dreena Burton Normally, for me, pesto is all about the basil. But fresh basil is abundant for only a brief period of the year. Still, it is available in modest amounts at grocery stores year-round. Here, I use a smaller amount of basil, along with parsley, to bring life to spinach via pesto. Pistachios offer sweetness to balance the more astringent spinach. While I'm usually loyal to my full-on basil pesto, this recipe competes for my affection! 1 cup raw pistachios (not salted) 2 Tbsp pine nuts (optional, can use more pistachios) 1 medium-large cloves garlic, quartered (see note) (1-2 cloves) 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 ½ - 2 Tbsp) 1/2 tsp sea salt (see note) Freshly ground black pepper to taste 3 Tbsp water (or more as desired, see note) (2-3 Tbsp) 3 ½ cups (loosely packed) baby spinach leaves 1 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves (¾ - 1 cup) ¼ cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves Crushed pistachios for serving In a food processor, combine the nuts, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, salt, pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons of the water, and the spinach, basil, and parsley. Puree until fairly smooth, less for a chunkier consistency or longer for a smoother one. Add and blend in additional water if you need to, for the consistency you desire. At this point, you may refrigerate the pesto in a covered container until ready to use it. Pasta Note: If you are serving this immediately with pasta, set the pesto aside and cook the pasta (using about 3/4 - 1 lb dry pasta) according to the package directions. Just before draining the pasta, remove and reserve about 1⁄2 cup of its cooking water. Drain the pasta (don't rinse it!) and toss with the pesto, using as much or as little pesto as you like. If the pasta is a little dry, add more pesto plus a tablespoon at a time of the reserved cooking water. Season to taste with additional salt, black pepper, and fresh lemon juice, as desired. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. Adult-Minded: I typically use one clove of garlic, because when the pesto is warmed by the pasta rather than cooked, the garlic maintains a raw taste. If you like a stronger garlic flavor, by all means, add another clove! Seasoning Note You may want to add more salt to this pesto after tossing with the pasta. The seasoning depends very much on how you use this pesto, and also how much of it you use! For instance, if you like just a light coating of pesto with your pasta, you may find the seasoning a touch bland, and in that case you can add a touch more salt to your pasta, to taste. If you like a thick, generous coating of pesto on those noodles (as I do!), then adding extra salt will be just too much. Also, if you like using pesto as a spread for breads or vegetables, this amount of salt is just right. Nutrition From: www.caloriecount.about.com Servings: 6 Serving Size: 62 g (62 g = 2.18 oz // 2.18 oz = 0.27 cups) Nutrition per Serving: 146 Calories, 104 Calories from Fat, 11.6g Total Fat, 1.3g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 173mg Sodium, 7.5g Total Carbs, 2.9g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 5.6g Protein Vitamin A 44% - Vitamin C 21% - Calcium 5% - Iron 10% Nutrition Grade: A- Good points: No cholesterol High in manganese Very high in vitamin A High in vitamin B6 High in vitamin C
