Low-Calorie Pesto With Pasta Recipe

Pesto is traditionally made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Although there is flexibility in the recipeyou can swap out the basil for a different fresh herb, or use walnuts instead of pine nutsit is the nuts and cheese that bring the most calories to the recipe. For a richer flavor, it is best to toast the pine nuts before adding to the food processor. And to get a more consistent mince of the garlic, put the cloves in the food processor first and pulse a few times to begin the chopping process. Another way to cut the calories is to either use less pasta or eliminate it completely. Pesto is a great topping for grilled chicken or fish, a colorful addition to quinoa and a tasty surprise spooned over roasted vegetables.