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Healthy Pesto

SAVE ✓ SAVED ADD TO MEAL PLAN PRINT VIEW IN SPANISH

I love pesto-it’s just so versatile. It can be drizzled over pasta, on sandwiches, or almost anything that comes off the grill. This is a recipe that uses chicken broth in place of some of the oil. The result is a flavorful pesto with many fewer calories. This also gives it a slightly thinner consistency which makes it easy to drizzle. I made this tonight with some basil from our container herb garden. It got mixed reviews from the Tiny Tasters. With time and repeat exposures this is a flavor profile the kids may get used to. I would definitely go easy on the garlic at first until your little ones get used to it. The raw garlic can be a bit “spicy” for kids. If they are trying pesto for the first time, you may offer a few bites of pasta with the pesto to try. If they don’t love it, have their favorite sauce as a back up and try again in a few weeks. Remember, with repeat exposures a “Yuck” can become a “Yum”!!!

Note: Pictured pasta is not gluten-free. For using pesto on pasta, use a gluten-free option if needed.

Ingredients

Food
Amt
Units
Prep
Notes
2 cups basil (fresh, loosely packed)
basil
2
cups
fresh, loosely packed
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
grated parmesan cheese
cup
¼ cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
broth
¼
cup
chicken or vegetable
2 tablespoons walnuts (or pinenuts)
walnuts
2
tablespoons
or pinenuts
1 clove garlic (use two cloves for more intense flavor)
garlic
1
clove
use two cloves for more intense flavor
2 tablespoon olive oil
olive oil
2
tablespoon
¼ teaspoons salt
salt
¼
teaspoons
black pepper (to taste)
black pepper
to taste

Method

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until everything is well-mixed. Serve over pasta or however you enjoy pesto! Works great on sandwiches, drizzled over grilled meats or veggies.

Babyfood Option:

This is a flavorful smooth pesto that can add punch to an of your baby's meals. Go easy on the garlic at first, as it may be strong for your baby. This is a nice way to add nutritious greens to your baby's finger foods like pasta. Talk to your doctor if there is a concern about food allergies in the family, as this recipe does contain tree nuts.

Prep time
8 min
Cook time
0 min
Yields/Serves:
4 servings, multiply recipe for bigger batches
Contains Dairy, Contains Tree Nuts
Nutrition Information

Yum Ratings

😫😟😐😀😍 “Yum. It’s just a little bit spicy.” —Anna, age 10
😫😟😐😀😍 “Super Yum! It just tastes good!” —Maria, age 11
😫😟😐😀😍 “No! I just wanna drink!” —Elizabeth, age 3
😫😟😐😀😍 “Mmmmmm (She made a happy face and kept opening her mouth for more.) —Katherine, age 1 ½
😫😟😐😀😍 (Made a 'Super Yuck' face and ran away.) —Joseph, age 4
😫😟😐😀😍 “It’s just okay.” —Zane, age 8