Pesto Three Ways

/

Pesto. It’s delicious.  Honestly, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoy pesto.  I mean honestly, it’s easy to make, it’s versatile, and oh… did I mention it’s delicious? 

So I decided to get a bit crazy, and mix things up on you and provide a few of my favorite pesto recipes, and what I like to do with them.  BONUS! These recipes also fall into some of your favorite nutritional lifestyle categories.  Two of them are vegan, one is nut-free and all of them are (did I mention this yet?) delicious! 

For each of these recipes, once they are made store them in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use or you can freeze in ziplocks bags to use at a later date. Or, you could just eat it all :)

 

Creamy Avocado Pesto

Okay, so pesto PLUS avocados? I’m in heaven, seriously.  This particular recipe is great if you want a creamy zucchini noodle pasta or as a dip with veggies.  Think guacamole, but pesto.  So… Italian guacamole???

Super Green Lemon Pesto

I love this recipe because it’s got the classic pesto taste, but much more lemony.  Plus, you can still get a good pesto even if you don’t have access to lots of basil since it uses arugula and spinach as well as basil for the base.  I especially like this lemon pesto on fish or with other seafood, but it’s also great with veggies, over zucchini noodles, or as part of a salad dressing.

Skinny Taste Basil Pesto

This is going to be the closest recipe of the three to a classic pesto.  The main difference is that it has a little less oil than a classic recipe, and no nuts. Because it has less oil than a classic pesto it tends to be a bit thicker, which you could thin down with a bit of water if you like… or a little more olive oil depending on your dietary preferences.  This one is perfect on a cauliflower crust pizza, eggs, or as part of a bruschetta.

 

Creamy Avocado Pesto

IMG_1237.JPG

2 Ripe Avocados
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup pine nuts
2 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp olive oil

  1. Add everything except olive oil to food processor and process until smooth. Add oil in a slow stream until creamy.
    Recipe by: Eat Yourself Skinny

 

Super Green Lemon Pesto

IMG_1201.JPG

¾ cup packed basil
½ cup packed arugula
½ cup packed spinach
⅓ cup roasted, salted pistachios
¼ cup avocado oil or EVOO
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp sea salt
Pinch black pepper

  1. Add everything to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Scrape sides as needed, adding water as needed to reach preferred consistency.
    Recipe by: 131 Method

 

Skinny Basil Pesto

albumtemp.PNG

1 cup basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Salt & pepper to taste
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

  1. In a food processor pulse basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing.
    Recipe by: Skinny Taste