Artichoke Pesto

I’ve got news for you. Pesto is not just for basil. It’s also not just for pasta.

I love pesto and I love artichokes… so I decided to put the two together! This pesto turned out even better than I expected, so I dipped a few tortilla strips in it. What I discovered is a great substitute to traditional spinach artichoke dip! It’s light and refreshing with no mayo, sour cream, or other super fattening fillers. You could also put this on a sandwich or, of course, over pasta. Make sure you check back tomorrow for THAT post!

Here’s how you make it!

8 oz can of artichoke hearts

1 cup of parsley (packed down)

1 large lemon

1/4 (heaping) cup walnuts 

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup romano cheese

salt and pepper

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Drain the artichokes and rinse the parsley. Add both to your food processor and chop.

It’s pretty already, right?!

Add walnuts, garlic, and lemon juice.

Then add salt, pepper, and cheese.

 Add your olive oil, blend until smooth, and that’s it!

If it’s too thick, add more lemon juice or olive oil. Adjust the seasonings to your liking.

This recipe makes 2 portions about this size each. It’s enough for 1lb of pasta (check back tomorrow for those details), and you can save the other one or dive right in like I did…

I will say, if you are only making this as a dip, use a little less garlic. Unless, of course, you don’t care about a little garlic breath. I’m not here to judge.

I’m adding this to pasta tomorrow. For the love of carbs, don’t miss it.