Hmm. Perhaps I should just buy a second basil plant...

I've been meaning to share this recipe for a while, and the day following a quiet three day weekend seems as good a time as any. We eat this for dinner maybe a couple of times a month -- pretty much as often as possible without utterly decimating our basil plant. It's simple and delicious and much healthier than traditional pesto.


Healthy, Tasty, Pesto Pasta

Use a food processor or immersion blender to thoroughly mix the following:

- basil leaves. maybe a third of a cup, packed down. the extent of my measuring is usually "the amount that'll fit in one hand to walk to the sink for washing."

- raw spinach leaves. they can be baby spinach, but they don't have to be. I use about equal parts basil and spinach.

- walnuts. traditional pesto calls for pine nuts, but I've found walnuts work just as well (maybe better), and I'm more likely to have them on hand. I use maybe a quarter cup, coarsely chopped.

- parmesan cheese. you can use the real stuff or the dried stuff in a canister (as long as it isn't, like, the synthetic stuff in a canister. shudder.), either way. the amount is flexible, but you need at least a few tablespoons, then to taste.

- garlic. I've used minced raw garlic before, and hoo boy does it pack a flavor punch. I actually prefer to use garlic powder here, both for texture and its more mellow taste.

- olive oil. I use less than a tablespoon, which I'm pretty sure is a fraction of what would traditionally be called for.

The finished product is a pretty dense paste (see above, about the olive oil amount). Stir it into cooked whole wheat rotini that's been less than thoroughly drained. A small amount of hot water left in the pot with the pasta helps the pesto to be evenly dispersed without stirring for twenty minutes. Smooshing any globs of pesto into the pasta with the back of your spoon helps too, though.

Enjoy with a big salad and a glass of white wine, if that's your thing.