Homemade pesto is a great way to nosh on some fresh, nutritious greens. But most recipes drown out all that goodness with calorie-dense hard cheeses. Let the flavor of the veggies shine through in this lightened up version of summer pesto that’s ready in a few short minutes. (If you don’t use all of the pesto immediately, place it in a storage container, smooth out the top, and place a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep the pesto from browning.) MORE: 20-Minute Healthy Dinner: Spicy Chickpea Salad Prep Time: 5 minutesTotal Time: 15 minutesServes 8 1 lb pasta2 c fresh or frozen sweet peas2 c roughly chopped basil, tightly packed¾ c pine nuts½ c roughly chopped chives or scallions3–4 large cloves garlic¼ c + 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 tsp salt
- Prepare pasta per package directions.2. If using fresh peas, boil until completely cooked, 4 to 5 minutes. If using frozen peas, thaw by running under warm water.3. Place cooked peas, basil, pine nuts, chives, garlic, ¼ c oil, and salt in food processor and blend until mixture becomes thick paste. (Add small amount pasta cooking water to achieve desired consistency, if necessary.)4. When pasta is cooked, drain and drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Add pesto and mix thoroughly. Serve hot immediately. NUTRITION (per serving) 390 cal, 12 g pro, 49 g carb, 9 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 18 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 330 mg sodium
