Name: Skinny Pesto
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups basil leaves, packed; 6 tbsp. water; 4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated; 1/4 cup pine nuts; 1 tbsp. olive oil; 3 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp. lemon juice; 1/4 tsp. salt; 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Pesto doesn't have to have so many calories! This lightened up version tastes just as good with less than half the calories and fat.

Skinny Pesto

basil leaves, packed

water

Parmesan cheese, grated

pine nuts

olive oil

garlic

lemon juice

salt

black pepper

Add everything to a food processor.

Add everything to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Store in an airtight container.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze.

5 STARS.  This recipe works well for Weight Watchers.  I added shrimp and served it over whole wheat thin pasta.  I substituted walnuts for the pine nuts. Even my picky non-dieter husband ate every last bite!

So super easy and wholesomely delicious. I was worried that it seemed a bit runny but it doesn't matter. The flavor is all there. I could DRINK good olive oil, so can stand to lose a few and this could help. All the flavor, so many fewer calories. 

I think garlic can be tricky if not in grams or oz in the recipe -- there's so much variations in size and even strength. I used a little less than the recipe called for and it is mega garlicky. Which is not a terrible thing. I do wish "tsp' versus "tbsp" was a little more obvious -- I just figured out why my pesto was runny! I used tsps instead of Tbsps. And it STILL didn't ruin it :)

I needed to bring more pesto pasta than I made to a family birthday, so I added a bunch of cut, blanched asparagus and used this cool, weird, wholewheat pasta called Gigli. 

Phenomenal.

Love this recipe! Yes, pine nuts are $20/lb, I almost fainted! Next time I will try almonds. This was delish in my turkey burger! Thank you, I can't wait to try more Skinny recipes!

Skinny Pesto

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total: 10 minutes

Servings: 8

Author : Kristen McCaffrey

Ingredients

Instructions

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