Lighter Spinach Pesto Sauce Recipes

SPINACH PESTO

Steps:

• Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped. Add the walnuts, lemon juice and zest; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream., Serve desired amount of pesto with pasta. Transfer remaining pesto to ice cube trays. Cover and freeze up to 1 month., To use frozen pesto: Thaw in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Serve with pasta.

SPINACH PESTO SAUCE SUPER EASY AND TASTY

Steps:

• Place a few spinach leaves, garlic, pine nuts, basil and a little oil in blender or food processor container.
• Cover and puree until leaves begin to look crushed. Continue adding spinach leaves a few at a time with small amounts of oil to blender, using a rubber spatula to help to combine pureed mixture.
• Add Parmesan cheese and 1/8 teaspoons salt. Cover and process until spinach pesto mixture is smooth.

LIGHTER SPINACH PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Reserve 1/2 cup picante sauce.
• Blend all remaining ingredients in blender or food processor.
• Fold in remaining picante sauce.
• Mix with hot cooked pasta.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.

LIGHTER BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Chop basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. Add ricotta cheese to the basil mixture and process. Repeat with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Add vegetable broth and process until sauce is smooth. Add more broth if pesto is too thick.

LIGHT PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel skin from garlic cloves, and chop into big chunks.
• Using a food processor, pulse basil, garlic, and nuts several times until finely chopped.
• Add cheese and ¼ cup of the olive oil, and pulse until blended.
• Pesto will be thick, so add more olive oil if desired for a looser consistency.

SPINACH WITH PESTO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• PLACE contents of 2 (16 ounce) tubs Organics brand fresh baby spinach in large soup pot over medium heat; POUR 1/2 cup water evenly over spinach; TOSS spinach until evenly dampened.
• COVER pot; COOK spinach just until wilted, between 3-5 minutes, stirring once.
• RETURN spinach into colander in sink; DRAIN completely and let set until ready to use.
• INTO the medium saucepan ADD: 3/4 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon butter, 4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest, 3/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1 dash fresh ground white pepper; BRING broth to gentle boil over medium heat.
• CHOP 1/2 medium sweet Vidalia onion; MINCE 4 fresh garlic cloves; ADD both to the saucepan with broth mixture; GRATE 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest; SQUEEZE 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. ADD all to broth mixture; REDUCE heat slightly.
• SIMMER uncovered until onion is almost transparent; REDUCE heat to low.
• STIR in 1/2 cup light cream cheese spread (up to 8 ounces) and 1/3 cup (or more) fresh deli basil pesto into the saucepan mixture, FOLD together gently until cream cheese has melted and the sauce is consistent and creamy (STIR 2 tablespoons heavy cream now if a richer sauce is desired); SEASON sauce to taste now, if necessary.
• REMOVE drained cooled spinach from colander; CHOP spinach coarsely.
• FOLD spinach into sauce mixture until thoroughly blended (FOLD in 2-4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese now, if desired, one tablespoon at a time, gradually until blended).
• SERVE and ENJOY.