

There are times when you just want what you want when you want it! With nary a blade of basil growing in the garden, I pulled up some Buttercrunch lettuce and combined it with dried basil to make a Lettuce Pesto. A few dollops tossed into a bowl of hot whole wheat rotini pasta…a satisfying feast in nearly no time at all!
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Dried Basil Leaf
1 cup Pre-Shredded Parmesan (not powdered please)
1/2 cup Water
2 cups Lettuce (Butter crunch, Romaine, or Iceberg)
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Cashews (traditionalists use pine nuts)
Salt to taste
Dump ingredients into a blender, then blitz until nearly smooth. Stop and taste. If the pesto needs a little salt, add a pinch. Blitz again. Set aside.
Prepare your pasta of choice and drain, then dollop a few tablespoons of pesto per serving of pasta and toss.
Plate and serve. Makes 4 entrées or 6-8 appetizers.
Luxed Up; Instead of Cashews, use Macadamia nuts, a heavenly nut that’s so creamy it melts like butter.
Top with sautéd chicken.
Top with sautéd shrimp.
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