Healthy Eats: Perfecto Pesto

By Trish Coffman

You might not think of pesto as a healthy or versatile food, but it’s much more than a soggy sauce for pasta.

The right recipe can boost nutrition and add high-volume flavor to all sorts of dishes with its mix of fresh herbs, olive oil, nuts and just a smidge of cheese. Plus, it’s much better — and far more pure — when you make it at home.

Customize a batch, then use it all kinds of ways (store leftovers in the freezer):

• Smear it on grilled chicken, fish or vegetables
• Toss with roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes
• Spread it on a sandwich
• Use as a marinade for pork or shrimp
• Stir into soup
• Scramble with eggs
• Top a pizza
• Mix with plain yogurt for a creamy salad dressing or dip

You will need:

• 1/3 C nuts (best choices: walnuts, pine nuts, pepitas)
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2 C packed fresh leafy herbs (best choices: Italian parsley, basil, cilantro, mint; mix and match herbs if you like)
• 1/4 C hard, aged cheese, shredded (best choices: Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, or Pecorino Romano)
• 1/3 C high quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Food processor or blender

Mince garlic, then use a fork to mash it to a paste with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Transfer garlic paste to your food processor or blender, add the herbs and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then pulse until herbs are chopped. Add cheese and nuts and process until nuts are finely chopped. With the motor running, add oil in a slow stream through the feed tube until emulsified.