White Bean Walnut Pesto

Most of the plants in my garden are still doing pretty well, but the basil and cucumber in particular are absolutely on fire.  I've been carrying extra cucumbers around in my purse to give away to family and friends.  I just can't eat them fast enough! 

Luckily, the basil surplus has not been as much of a problem.  It just means it's time to make pesto!

I absolutely love pesto, and I've made this white bean walnut version twice now this week.  I like using walnuts instead of pine nuts because they are chock full of healthy fats and a bit cheaper and easier to find.  Plus, you do not want to risk getting pine mouth!  It happened to my sister-in-law and it sounds awful!

I generally don't eat any meat with this dish, so I like having the white beans in there to bulk up the sauce and add protein.  Just toss the pesto with some pasta and you have a pretty well-balanced meal.  It may not look like you are eating a ton, but I promise it is really filling!

White Bean Walnut Pesto

Makes approximately 3 large servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 large cloves garlic
2 cups packed basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup white beans
Hefty dash of salt and pepper

Instructions:
Blend walnuts and garlic in food processor.

Add in the basil, salt and pepper, and olive oil and blend until thoroughly combined.

Add white beans and Parmesan and blend for just a few more seconds.  It's okay if it's a little chunky.

Just before serving, add in 2 tablespoons of water from the cooked pasta.

Toss with the pasta of your choice and enjoy!

Avocado Green Pea Pesto

I love pesto and I REALLY love avocados, so last night I decided it would be a brilliant idea to combine the two together.  I had seen some avocado pasta recipes floating around the Pinterest world, but most of them didn't seem hearty enough to serve as a stand-alone meal.  Since I wasn't going to be adding meat or cheese, I wanted to create a sauce that was super thick and filling.  I ended up pulling some elements from the avocado recipes I found online and merging them with a satisfying green pea pesto recipe I've used in the past.  I tossed in some fresh cherry tomatoes from our garden at the end, and the result was a delicious Italian-meets-guacamole masterpiece.

I didn't exactly measure everything out, but here is my best guess at the recipe:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup green peas (thaw first if you use frozen)
1 avocado
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor and toss with the pasta of your choice!  You could also add in additional veggies or meat and/or top with fresh Parmesan to mix things up.  

A word of warning...if you try to save any leftovers, they may not look so appetizing the next day.  I brought some to work this morning and found it to be quite an unpleasant shade of brown by the time I opened up my Pyrex at lunch time.  Fortunately it it tasted better than it looked!