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Pesto Pasta

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on August 10, 2015

Written by RD Monica Joyce: What do you make for dinner if short on time? Pesto, of course. That is if you are growing basil either in pots or in the ground this summer. Basil plants are flourishing right now. In fact, dinner at Merlo’s one of my favorite restaurants in my neighborhood, Ravinia, Saturday night inspired me. I was surrounded on the patio by “not flowers” but basil plants. Huge plants with huge leaves. Not only did they look beautiful but they smelled wonderful.

So after a day spent in the yard working I decided a quick and easy meal would be pasta with pesto. My basil plants are flourishing so I picked leaves and added pine nuts, basil, cloves of garlic and olive oil in a blender while pasta cooked on the stove. I sliced a melon, tossed romaine and red leaf lettuce with oil and vinegar and in about 20 minutes I had prepared a delicious meal. Oh and did I mention we had a nice bottle of Chianti to go with it.
Pesto is a sauce that originates in the Liguria region of Northern Italy (where my Mother is from). It traditionally consists of pine nuts, basil olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano and Fiore Sardo (cheese made from goat’s milk). It is an excellent source of Vitamin K.
I happen to love it!

Monica Joyce, MS, RD, LD, CDE