Presto, It's Pesto

Want a great pesto? Use these ingredients
and you'll have a healthy, delicious pesto in no time!

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Contributed by the AICR

What’s an amazingly easy recipe that tastes as good as restaurant food—and is healthy too? Pesto. This luscious garlicky green sauce takes only five minutes to whip up in a blender or food processor.

AICR’s version uses summer–fresh basil, garlic and tomatoes, as well as healthful spinach, nuts and olive oil. You get a wide variety of cancer–fighting phytochemicals — ranging from flavonoids in basil and lutein in the spinach to phenols in olive oil and organosulfur compounds in the garlic.

In addition to whole–wheat pasta, this pesto tastes terrific on steamed veggies like broccoli, cauliflower or green beans. You also might try substituting an equal amount of chopped walnuts for the pine nuts or almonds.

Just remember to mince your garlic first and let it sit for 10–15 minutes before using it. Mincing and exposing it to air oxidizes garlic, which activates its phytochemicals to be their most protective.

Pesto will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days covered tightly, but try and use it as soon as you can to get the full flavor of the fresh basil.


Click here to see our recipe for the pesto with pasta, adapted from the AICR submission.

Spinach Pesto Pasta












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