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Pesto is a delicious green sauce that has origins in the beautiful country of Italy. The sauce consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, and Parmigiano Reggiano, blended in olive oil. Traditional pesto is a thick, green sauce that tastes savoury and herby because of the basil, and salty and rich because of the cheese and pine nuts. Authentic Pesto sauce, would have hints of garlic, with a pleasant taste of grassiness that comes from using good quality olive oil. Pesto sauce has a lot of health benefits including being full of antioxidants and protecting your cells from damage. Because of its ingredients - olive oil, nuts, and cheese - Pesto can be high in calories and fat. However, this fat is primarily unsaturated and may have heart health benefits. Including Pesto in your meals is going to ensure that you end up devouring - a healthy, delicious and sumptuous meal. Here are a few recipes you can cook using Pesto sauce as an ingredient:
1) Pesto Zoodles
This recipe is replete with health benefits. For the uninitiated, zoodles refers to zucchini noodles. Zoodles are a healthier alternative to normal noodles. While this recipe calls for Zoodles, you could substitute them with normal noodles, if you so please. The Pesto Zoodles is a dish that’s made by coating Zucchini Noodles by home made Pesto and throwing in some fresh Parmesan and chilli flakes for the extra zest. This recipe can be made within 25 minutes with a simple list of 12 ingredients. The fresher the ingredients, the tastier the recipe. Don’t forget to sprinkle olive oil over the Pesto Zoodles before eating them up!
2) Grilled Veggies With Pesto
If you’re in the mood for a low calorie side dish, then this Grilled Vegetables With Pesto should be your pick. The smoky flavour of the Pesto tossed vegetables is delicious. If you’re tired of pairing salad as a side dish with your meal, this dish is a great way to spruce things up. Do remember that different veggies can take up different cooking times. While most veggies take around 5 minutes, carrots can often take up to 10 minutes because they are a more stiff veggie. Once you’ve grilled your veggies drizzle some Pesto Sauce and pine nuts on them and add extra salt if needed.
3) Chicken Pesto Spaghetti Squash
Are you in the mood for some chicken dinner? Try making this Pesto Spaghetti Squash with chicken. This is a simple recipe, with just a few steps. Most of the cooking is hands-off in the oven. In case you’re not a fan of chicken, you can easily substitute other kinds of meat for the chicken like turkey or pork. Remember that the time different meats take to cook completely, could differ. If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, you can omit the meat and double the veggies and cheese. Veggies that taste great with spaghetti squash include tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, eggplant and zucchini.
4) Shrimp Pesto Pasta
This recipe is a favourite of all sea-food lovers. The umami taste of the shrimps and the zesty punch of the Pesto sauce transports you to food heaven. The possibility of leftover Pesto sauce after you make this recipe is high. In such a case, use the leftover sauce as a dip or spread. Pesto sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Alternatively it could be frozen and stored for over a month.
