Best Light Pesto Recipes

LIGHT LEMON PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti at a boil until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 12 minutes; drain. Transfer spaghetti to a large bowl.
• Put cubed Romano cheese in the bowl of a food processor; process until coarsely grated, about 30 seconds. Put garlic into the food processor and process until the cheese and garlic are combined. Add spinach, basil, walnuts, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt; process until the mixture comes together into a thick paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
• With food processor running, drizzle olive oil into the mixture. Continue processing until the oil is integrated smoothly.
• Pour sauce over spaghetti and toss to coat.

LIGHT SHRIMP AND PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Place garlic scapes, Romano cheese, parsley, and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. Scrape down sides. Turn on food processor; pour in olive oil and lemon juice while processing pesto until smooth.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in pasta, bring back to a boil, and cook over medium heat until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Stir pesto and shrimp into the pasta. Season with salt and black pepper. Squeeze a lemon wedge over pasta and serve remaining wedges alongside.

CRAWFISH AND TASSO IN A LIGHT HERB CREAM PESTO SAUCE OVER ROTINI

Steps:

• 1. In a med. sauce pan, put cream, bouillon, oregano, basil, garlic and tasso. Bring to a simmering boil, stirring constantly for 5 mins. Taste and make final seasoning adjustments, salt and pepper. Add crawfish and Rotini and let simmer until all ingredients are hot; stir constantly. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
• 2. Serve with garlic bread.

LIGHT PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine Romano cheese and garlic; cover and process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, nuts, salt and pepper; cover and process until combined, about 15 seconds. While processing, add the lemon juice; process about 15 seconds longer or until combined. Toss the spaghetti.

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.

PESTO BURGERS (LIGHT)

Steps:

• Mix the beef, bread crumbs, green onion, basil, 1/4 cup of pesto, egg and garlic by hand and shape into 5 burgers.
• Grill or sauté until done, about 7 minutes per side.
• Serve the burgers with the remaining 1/4 cup of pesto.

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH A LIGHT PLUM TOMATO SAUCE AND A BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• In a saucepan add a touch of olive oil, plum tomatoes, 3 shallots and 4 cloves of garlic and cook until shallots are translucent. Add white wine and juice of 2 lemons. Bring to boil, reduce heat, let cook three minutes. Remove from heat and add all ingredients to blender and puree. This process may require being done in steps so that blender does not overflow. Strain pureed ingredients through chinoise, throw out pulp, reserve broth. Bring broth back up to at least 110 degrees. Place in a clean blender, add cubed butter with blender on high to emulsify, thicken sauce, season to taste.
• In a large pot bring to boil salted water and then cook pasta to al dente, refresh in ice bath and set aside. Toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil until ready to serve.
• In a blender, add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 shallot, basil, parsley and watercress, juice of the 1 remaining lemon, cover blender, turn on high. Slowly add 1 cup olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt -- add fresh cracked black pepper (a lot), briefly turn blender on. Transfer contents into a squirt bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Place 1 saute pan over high heat until it smokes.
• In another saute pan place 1 teaspoon of olive oil, add 3 ounces of pasta, then 4 ounces of tomato sauce, check for seasoning of salt and pepper to taste.
• In smoking pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season scallops with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, then add to hot oil. Sear deeply until warm brown color turn each scallop over and finish in a 375 degree oven (for 3 minutes). In desired plate or bowl place pasta with sauce, when scallops are done arrange them on top of pasta. Liberally swizzle pesto over plate and garnish with purple basil sprig.

LIGHT PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• In food processor, combine romano cheese and garlic; cover and process for 30 seconds.
• Add the basil, nuts, salt and pepper; cover and process until combined, about 15 seconds.
• While processing, add the lemon juice, process about 15 seconds longer or untl combined.
• Toss with pasta or serve as compliment to beef, chicken or seafood.

LIGHT BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except broth in food processor. Pulse until basil is coarsely chopped. Scrape down work bowl. Add chicken broth, starting with 2 T. Pulse. Continue adding broth, 1 or 2 T. at a time until pesto reaches desired consistency. If you want a richer pesto, increase oil by 1 or 2 T. You won't need as much broth if you do this. *To reduce chicken broth, boil canned broth briskly in a heavy saucepan until it is reduced by half. It takes 15 minutes or so to reduce 2 cups to 1, somewhat less for smaller quantities.