An Italian Visit to Remember: Raw Pesto as a Green Smoothie Sauce (Basil, Pine Nuts, Garlic, Parsley…)

I’ve been thinking a lot about Italy because my husband and I spent time there a few years ago and we’re excited to one day visit Italy with our son Connor. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had this infatuation with Italy and have been drawn to everything Italian. Every year our good friend Pina, who is also Connor’s godmother, would have this wonderful Italian feast for Thanksgiving and we would sit and talk about her growing up in Sicily.

We had such a wonderful time exploring the beautiful cities that surround Italy, but the enchanted city of Sorrento located on Italy’s Amalfi Coast was just magical, and the ferry ride over to the island of Capri in southern Italy on the southern edge of the Bay of Naples is something I will never forget. While exploring Capri, we came upon a charming café where we had one of the best pesto sauces I’ve ever tasted; too bad the chef wouldn’t give us the recipe. I was pregnant at the time and it seemed like all I wanted to do was eat pesto sauce. I decided to re-create this sauce making a raw basil pesto sauce and replaced the angel hair pasta with yummy fresh zucchini. To get the look of angel hair pasta, I used my spiral slicer that makes a mountain of mouth watering zucchini noodles that are just the right accompaniment to the raw pesto sauce.

This recipe is super easy and you may substitute another green that suits your fancy. I love basil so much and anytime I can use it to either make a savory green smoothie or a delicious pesto sauce, I’m all for it.

Basil

Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. There are many varieties of basil, and for this recipe I am using sweet basil.

Basil has anti-bacterial as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Essential oil of basil, obtained from its leaves, has demonstrated the ability to inhibit several species of pathogenic bacteria that have become resistant to commonly used antibiotic drugs. The enzyme-inhibiting effect of the eugenol, which is a volatile oil in basil, qualifies basil as an “anti-inflammatory” food that can provide important healing benefits along with symptomatic relief for individuals with inflammatory health problems like rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel conditions.

Recipe

• 1/3 cup pine nuts, soaked for 10-20 minutes
• 2-3 fresh garlic cloves minced
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 1 Tb. Extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Pesto Sauce

Grind the pine nuts in a food processor or heavy duty blender. Add the garlic and olive oil to the nut mixture and process until blended. Add the ground nutmeg, salt and pepper and blend again. Slowly add greens and pulse until your desired consistency. I tend to like a coarser consistency, but it truly is a personal preference. Allow pesto to marinate for at least 4 hours for all the flavors to blend together.

Spiralized Zucchini

Cut zucchini in 3 inch pieces and spiralize until all pieces have been spiralized.

Mix zucchini and pesto sauce completely before serving or serve individual servings and place a dollop of pesto on top of each serving.

I hope you enjoy this pesto sauce and think of creative ways to use it. I also like to dehydrate crackers and place a dollop on each cracker, yummy!!!

Enjoy!

Tracy

P.S. This creative “Green Smoothie as sauce” recipe is just one of many creative ways to get your greens! For more ideas, it’s not too late to join in the Green Smoothie Countdown to Christmas, and there are always lots of great recipes on the Raw Mom blog!