Those of you folk who hang out here regularly know that we plant a garden each spring, and that it brings us so much joy. Last weekend I decided, we are eating from the garden tonight, so we went a ‘shopping’ in the garden. We choose dwarf eggplants, purple basil, and cherry tomatoes as they are practically jumping of the vines. For the pesto, we used mostly purple basil, but when I felt I needed a bit more basil flavor, I decided to use a few green basil leaves from the garden. The fresh Parmesan we used was obtained Westerly Packing.
Ingredients:
1 lb. box of whole grain or whole wheat spaghetti
4-5 dwarf eggplants, sliced, grilled, and then cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup shelled, sliced almonds (or use whole)
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 cup fresh purple or green basil, tightly packed
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (use more for a less dense
1-2 handfuls of cherry tomato, sliced in half
Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium, and prepare the eggplant by slicing into 1/2 thick pieces. Grill the eggplant about 1-2 minutes per side and set aside to cool.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package directions.
3. Make the pesto by combining the almonds, Parmesan, garlic and basil into a mini-food processor. Drizzle in the oil while pulsing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. Drain the spaghetti, place in a large bowl, mix in pesto and then top with tomatoes. If you wish, you can always add more oil in but be sure to toss well.
Love pesto but think it is only for pasta? Let me change your mind:
Spicy Basil Pesto Mini Bison Meatballs
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