Pasta, pizza, fish and roasted vegetables all have something in common… they all taste better with fresh pesto. Though pesto is traditionally made with garlic, basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese, I love adding my own personal spin of ingredients to elicit that nutty, aromatic taste while showcasing more green, nutrient-dense ingredients.
In this particular recipe, I have showcased walnuts, broccoli and spinach along with some traditional ingredients. Walnuts are easily one of my favorite nuts simply because they are one of the few to boast omega-3 fatty acids. Many people don’t know about the dire importance of maintaining a proper omega 6 to omega 3 balance which should be about 1:1. The traditional American diet includes an excessive amount of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids creating a skewed ratio that has been found to promote the pathogenesis of many diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory disorders and autoimmune disease. A balanced ratio exerts suppressive effects.
I have a feeling I will be enjoying this recipe a lot more as temps start to rise for summer and I hope you do too!
- 1 cup basil
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup broccoli, steamed
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp lemon
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 c water
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until well combined.
- Serve with pasta, pizza, fresh fish or vegetables.