These past few weeks I have been struggling to get the amount of fruits and veggies into my diet that I normally do. They just seem SO unappealing and make me gag slightly when I think of eating them.
I try to make a smoothie every morning with my VitaMix blender (thanks, Mom)! But until the warmer weather makes a more permanent stay, the cold smoothies just aren’t what I want every morning. As most of my friends and family know, I really pride myself on trying to eat healthy and consciously(with a splurge in between, of course), but these past few weeks I have not been interested in eating salads or veggies. I’ve tried to sneak them in when I can but it’s been tough. I got groceries yesterday and ambitiously ordered a lot of fruits and veggies determined to make them a part of this weeks menu. Last night I cooked up some whole wheat pasta and with it I made homemade arugula pecan pesto. I LOVE this recipe and it’s a great way to get in some greens, garlic, nuts and some great olive oil. I sub in a whole wheat pasta for a healthier version. It’s also even better leftover the next day! Here is the recipe (thanks, Bon Appetit)!
ingredients
- 3/4 cup pecans (3 oz),toasted
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 oz arugula, coarse stems discarded
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 1/2 oz)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb dried linguine
preparation
Finely chop 1/4 cup pecans (preferably with a knife).
Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large heavy knife). Blend remaining 1/2cup pecans, arugula, cheese, oil, pepper, and garlic paste in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute.
Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot ofboiling salted wateruntil al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water. Drain pasta in a colander, then return to pot and toss with pesto, 1/2 cup cooking water, and chopped pecans, adding more cooking water as necessary if pasta seems dry.