We have been trying out new recipes that incorporate lots of vegetables in them. Last week turned out to be “green food” week. We made green pasta, green chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and green chocolate chip spinach muffins.
Like the majority of my recipes, the good ones turn out to be a total fluke in the beginning until I remake it to perfection. Lets start with how this Cilantro Basil Pesto Pasta came about. I was trying to make basil and cilantro pesto sauce for a pasta dinner. My husband loves cilantro and doesn’t like the overpowering flavor of basil (I disagree with that one!) so we compromised on combining the two. Only I added too much salt to my pesto! What to do… what to do? I diluted it with a zucchini and a couple handfuls of kale (or you could use spinach). It turned out it be a smooth creamy consistency that our whole family enjoyed. Toss your pesto over noodles and add some peas, broccoli and edamame beans for additional nutrition and protein. Chase loved playing with long green “nooo-nooos!”
I am kind of going off what I remember as far as amounts, so please forgive me. If you make it, please hash tag me on Instagram at #DelightfulMomFood or leave a comment below as I would love to hear what you think!
- PESTO:
- 2 cups of cilantro leaves
- 2 cups of basil leaves
- 2 handfuls of chopped kale leaves
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup Parmesean cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp. salt (or to taste)
- ⅛ tsp pepper (or to taste)
- PASTA:
- ½ package of spaghetti noodles
- 2 cups of frozen broccoli
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 1 cup of frozen edamame beans
- In a food processor or blender, blend 2 handfuls of kale, one zucchini, basil, cilantro, olive oil, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook pasta noodles in a large pot according to directions and reserve about ½ cup of the water. Drain and bring back to large pot. Add frozen peas, broccoli and edamame beans. Add desired amount of your pesto sauce. Heat on low until broccoli is thawed. If it starts to thicken, add a bit of the reserved water so your pasta doesn't become sticky.
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