Pesto Pasta

Pesto is an intense Italian sauce made from basil or parsley, strong cheese, olive oil and pine nuts and can be used in a variety of dishes. A few easy serving suggestions:

• Combine pesto with 1 pound of cooked whole-wheat pasta or 2 pounds steamed vegetables for a meatless meal
• Combine 1 tablespoon pesto with 2 tablespoons olive oil to use as a dipping sauce for whole-grain bread or rolls
• Spread pesto on a sandwich, chicken, fish, or pizza
• Use 1/2 tsp. pesto to season vegetables in place of butter or margarine

Pesto PastaMarch is National Nutrition Month, Noodle Month and the month to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Here's a green, heart-healthy noodle recipe that's perfect for all three!Ingredients:12 oz package of whole wheat cappellini or linguine2 cups loosely packed fresh basil or parsley leaves1/2 cup Asiago, Parmesan or Romano cheese (or a combination of all three)1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts3 cloves garlicSalt & freshly ground pepper to tasteDirections:

Prepare pasta according to package directions While the pasta is cooking, puree all remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender until a paste forms Drain pasta and combine with 1/2 cup of the pesto (save other half for future use) Top with additional grated cheese Makes 4-6 servings; makes 1 cup of pesto (enough for 2 boxes of pasta)

Nutrition Information per serving: 270 calories, 10 gm protein, 42 gm carbohydrate, 10 gm total fat, 1.5 gm saturated fat, 0 gm trans fat, 6 gm fiber, 5 mg cholesterol, 97 mg sodium  .