Pesto Three Ways

One of our favorite dishes is spaghetti with homemade pesto and roasted cherry tomatoes but that can be pretty winter-y....and now that summer is here (!), we feel like eating lighter meals, preferably outside. But! Pesto is so versatile and you can put it on so many things other than pasta - here are three that we like for the warmer months:

First, to make the pesto: In a small food processor, add about two cups of roughly chopped fresh basil, 1 clove of garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and about 1/3 cup of good olive oil (you can add more oil as you go, if it looks dry). Run this through the food processor and then transfer to a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste - and more oil if you need.

Then:

Spaghetti Squash with Pesto

Spaghetti squash is a nice summer alternative to regular spaghetti - it's lighter - and it's super easy to make: cut a spaghetti squash in half and place it cut side down in a baking dish with about half a cup of water. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes and then scrape out the "spaghetti" strands with a fork. We like roasted cherry tomatoes with it too - bake these in the same oven as the squash for about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, pesto and Parmesan to the top.

Bruschetta

This is one of our favorite pre-dinner snacks: for two people, toast six pieces of a baguette. Chop up 1 large tomato and 4 small mozzarella balls and place in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the pesto on the toast and then top with the tomato/mozzarella mixture.

Scrambled Eggs with Pesto