Lighter Spinach Pesto Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Reserve 1/2 cup picante sauce.
• Blend all remaining ingredients in blender or food processor.
• Fold in remaining picante sauce.
• Mix with hot cooked pasta.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.

Steps:

• Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped. Add the walnuts, lemon juice and zest; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream., Serve desired amount of pesto with pasta. Transfer remaining pesto to ice cube trays. Cover and freeze up to 1 month., To use frozen pesto: Thaw in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Serve with pasta.

Steps:

• Place a few spinach leaves, garlic, pine nuts, basil and a little oil in blender or food processor container.
• Cover and puree until leaves begin to look crushed. Continue adding spinach leaves a few at a time with small amounts of oil to blender, using a rubber spatula to help to combine pureed mixture.
• Add Parmesan cheese and 1/8 teaspoons salt. Cover and process until spinach pesto mixture is smooth.

Steps:

• PLACE contents of 2 (16 ounce) tubs Organics brand fresh baby spinach in large soup pot over medium heat; POUR 1/2 cup water evenly over spinach; TOSS spinach until evenly dampened.
• COVER pot; COOK spinach just until wilted, between 3-5 minutes, stirring once.
• RETURN spinach into colander in sink; DRAIN completely and let set until ready to use.
• INTO the medium saucepan ADD: 3/4 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon butter, 4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest, 3/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1 dash fresh ground white pepper; BRING broth to gentle boil over medium heat.
• CHOP 1/2 medium sweet Vidalia onion; MINCE 4 fresh garlic cloves; ADD both to the saucepan with broth mixture; GRATE 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest; SQUEEZE 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. ADD all to broth mixture; REDUCE heat slightly.
• SIMMER uncovered until onion is almost transparent; REDUCE heat to low.
• STIR in 1/2 cup light cream cheese spread (up to 8 ounces) and 1/3 cup (or more) fresh deli basil pesto into the saucepan mixture, FOLD together gently until cream cheese has melted and the sauce is consistent and creamy (STIR 2 tablespoons heavy cream now if a richer sauce is desired); SEASON sauce to taste now, if necessary.
• REMOVE drained cooled spinach from colander; CHOP spinach coarsely.
• FOLD spinach into sauce mixture until thoroughly blended (FOLD in 2-4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese now, if desired, one tablespoon at a time, gradually until blended).
• SERVE and ENJOY.

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine basil, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons water; season with salt and pepper. Puree until a paste forms.
• With motor running, add oil in a thin stream. Process until very smooth, about 1 minute.

Steps:

• Blend the spinach, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until nearly smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the mixture while processing until smooth.