Once in a while I love to change my sauce option up and have a little pesto.  I grow my own basil, so this is a natural sauce to make with it since Pesto is primarily made with basil.  Pesto sauce is easy because you basically just combine basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil together.  The amounts of each don’t ever have to be EXACT, but I’ve figured out a combination of amounts that I like so I’m passing them on to you.

You’ll see that the calories seem a bit high for a vegetable-based sauce.  This is because most of the calories within the sauce some from the olive oil.  Lucky for us, olive oil is a healthy fat.  With that being said, it is still wise to watch the amount we eat.  The calories add up fast when we’re dealing with fats and healthy fats are no exception to the calorie-counting rules.

I love to put this sauce over pasta, on sandwiches, and even on pizza.  Stay tuned for my next recipe post.  I’ll be using this delicious sauce in it!  YUM!

Basic Pesto

3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2-4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine basil, Parmesan cheese, nuts, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender.  Blend until finely chopped.  While processing, slowly add oil until it is well incorporated and a smooth paste develops.

Serves 16 (Makes approximately 2 cups of sauce).

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Tablespoons)
Calories:  199
Protein:  2.4g
Carbs:  2g
Fat:  21.1g
Fiber:  0.9g