Easy, Breezy Pesto Sauce

Colorful, flavor-packed pesto is an incredible addition to an wrap, sandwich or pasta dish -it’s especially great with zucchini noodles. I make a little jar of this green magic and it goes a long way. It’s as simple to throw together as it is delicious. 

I have experimented with different recipes, and ultimately decided I like substituting almonds for the more traditional pine nut element in pesto. Almonds are lower in saturated fats, higher in monosaturated fats and lower in overall calories.

Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 Cloves of fresh garlic
• 1/4 Cup raw almonds
• 2/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of salt and pepper

Bake almonds at 350° for 5-10 minutes, or until likely roasted. Combine almonds, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1/2 a cup of olive oil in a food processor and blend until thoroughly mixed.

If you’re ready to chow down right away, you can toss in the last bit of oil and pulse to blend. This stuff also freezes impeccably well, so you can store it away for a couple months, thaw it, bring it back to life with that last bit of oil and go to town. Whether you’re digging in now or later, make sure you store pesto in an air-tight container in your fridge or freezer.

All writing and images copyright © 2015 Rachel Elise Weems Woods