Spinach & Sun dried Tomato Pesto

If you haven't noticed by now I am a huge pasta fan, it's probably my favorite meal, but it does bring a lot of carbs with it. I always try to use whole grain pastas or the pastas made with vegetables and whole grains. You have to be careful when you buy "whole wheat" or "whole grain" pastas....if you look closely at the boxes, sometimes you'll see them say-made with 51% whole wheat- or something to that affect. I'm pretty sure if I am trying to be healthier I don't want to be half healthy, I want to be all the way! So just watch your pasta, health food stores with generally have the 100% whole grain, but always look to be sure. That was my tangent now on to the food!

I've never really done much with pesto pastas, I've always been into marinara or cream sauces, so I wanted to shake up my taste buds and try a pesto. I was being a really brave girl on this one, tomatoes are not my favorite thing in the world! I know they are suuuuuper good for you, but I try guys, I really try to like them. I taste them, but I don't know I just don't really like them, anyways so I went out on a limb with the sun dried tomatoes. I tried them on pizza once and I remembered they didn't taste like fresh tomatoes. I found the recipe at angela's blog and the finished result was yum. Well I kind of was in the mood for a little bit more than yum, I wanted something that would get me to make this again...for me! So I stood there looking at my little creation and decided why not spinach with the tomatoes and maybe I'll add a little milk to the sauce to make it go a little farther for the amount of pasta. Simple right, well these additions made it go from yum...to me saying "you complete me"! I really enjoyed it, the tomatoes gave it some zap that I wasn't expecting, and I really enjoyed the spinach mixed in, I'm all for sneaking in more veggies! Play around and see what you come up with, try the original, try mine, add something else...go for it!!!!

Spinach & Sun dried Tomato Pesto

For the Sauce

2 garlic cloves

1/2 c fresh basil

approx 7 sun dried tomatoes

6-8 T water

1/8 c non-dairy milk

1/4 c olive oil

1 T nutritional yeast (optional)

salt to taste

crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1 small handful of spinach

your choice of pasta

For the spinach

1 T olive oil

2 large handfuls of spinach

1/2 c sun dried tomatoes

In blender or food processor, while machine is running add cloves of garlic and mince, add basil until finely chopped. Pour in olive oil, water, milk, tomatoes, yeast while machine is going. Go as slowly as you need to so you don't get splashed! Blend until smooth or mostly smooth. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.

 Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, pour 1 T olive oil in skillet and heat over med heat. Add spinach and sun dried tomatoes and saute until spinach is wilted.  Pour pesto sauce over the top of pasta and coat completely add spinach and tomatoes and coat! Serve warm! Enjoy