Presto Pesto

Pass the greens please!  Fresh pesto is such a delight and can add so much flavor to lots of different dishes.  Plus this is seriously easy to prepare!  The baby puree is a simple puree of spinach and peas with a hint of basil… a great way to introduce basil for my baby.  The pesto for the rest of the family isn’t your traditional pesto because I’ve added fresh spinach.  This is a superb way to sneak in another veggie on your plate.

Spinach Pea “Pesto”

• 2 cups packed Baby Spinach, tough stems removed
• 1 cup Peas (I used frozen peas and thawed them)
• 1 large Basil Leaf

Steam the spinach, peas and basil together.  I used the Beaba Babycook machine for this but you could simply steam these in a steamer basket in a pot of water.  Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender until desired consistency is reached.

Spinach Pesto

• 1 cup Baby Spinach
• 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Clove Garlic
• Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and mix until well combined.

I used this pesto for a pizza sauce and topped it with prosciutto, sundried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

This pesto is great tossed with pasta and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.