Being part Italian, pesto is one of my old time favorites. It is very easy to make, store, it has plenty of uses, and it’s super kid friendly. This particular recipe I worked on is the healthier version of pesto. You can put it together in just 15-20 minutes, which makes it ideal for a weekday meal.
I follow a dairy-free diet so I had to replace the cheese commonly used in traditional pesto with avocado and cashews. The mixture of these 2 ingredients not only made the texture extra creamy and delicious but also supplemented the recipe with many health benefits. I also added shrimp to include a bit extra protein. Shrimp are very low in mercury, so you do not have to worry about that specially is you are pregnant. However, if you follow a vegan diet the recipe is equally mouth watering with cherry tomatoes instead of shrimp.
As for the pasta, if you worked out and it’s lunch time, I recommend using brown rice pasta. I use a brand called “jovial” because the only ingredients are brown rice and water. For dinner I recommend making this recipe with zucchini noodles.
I can proudly say that it passed my husband’s pasta test (he grew up in Italy so he is specially strict when it comes to pasta). It is vibrant in color, has a super creamy texture, mind-blowing flavor, and it’s loaded with health benefits.
Some of these benefits are:
- High Potassium coming from the avocados. Avocados actually have more potassium than bananas and this is a nutrient that most people do not get enough of and is especially helpful in reducing blood pressure. Avocados also come with 7 grams of fiber, which is beneficial in helping us reduce blood glucose levels and aid in weight loss. Avocados have also been associated with lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and protect us against cancer.
- Monounsaturated oleic fats coming from the avocados, cashews, and olive oil. This kind of fat has been linked to reduce inflammation, decreased levels of triglycerides, and therefore, reduced cardiac disease.
- In ancient history garlic was used as a medicine. Now we have the science to prove it and we know that it has a sulfur compound called Allicin that contains endless health benefits. Garlic boosts the immune systems and helps us fight the common cold, it helps reduce blood pressure, helps reduce cholesterol levels, detoxifies our bodies from heavy metals, among other things.
- ¼ cup of cashews and ⅛ cup as topping
- 1 cup full of fresh basil
- 1 hass avocado
- 1 garlic clove
- Juice of 1 ½ lemons
- 6 tbs of olive oil (more if needed)
- Himalayan salt to taste
- ½ pound of peeled shrimp
- Ezekiel sprouted grains pasta or Jovial brown rice pasta or Zucchini noodles
- Add the cashews, basil, avocado, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and Himalayan salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Depending on the consistency of the avocado you might need less or more olive oil so I recommend adding it gradually.
- Place the ⅛ cup of cashews in a food processor to break them down a bit. Then place them in a pan and toast them. Be careful as nuts burn very quickly.
- Cook pasta according to specifications or use spiralizer to make zucchini noodles
- In a big pan, place the peeled shrimp on medium-high heat and cook about 2 minutes on each side.
- Then add your cooked pasta or zucchini noodles to the pan with the shrimp and toss with the pesto sauce.
- Enjoy!
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