Healthy Spinach Pesto

This is a great, healthy way to get your veggies and MUCH lower in fat than a traditional pesto. This is a great pantry-meal because it isn't dependent on the seasons and can be made in a snap at any time of the year. The sauce itself requires no cooking, and the food processor even does all the chopping for you. This sauce is vegetarian as is, but could easily be made vegan by omitting the cheese. Silken tofu is shelf-stable and can be found at asian groceries, specialty/health stores, and many regular grocery stores these days. It imparts no taste to the sauce, just a creamy decadent texture like the finest whole-milk ricotta. It can be your little secret!

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• 1 -2  garlic clove
• 4 -5  sprigs fresh Italian parsley
• 1 (12 ounce) box silken tofu
• 1⁄2  lemon, juice of
•  salt (to taste)
•  pepper (to taste)
• 1⁄4 cup  grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 1  dash  sesame oil (optional)

Directions

1. Add garlic and parsley to food processor and pulse until garlic is finely minced.
2. Add tofu, spinach, lemon juice and sesame oil (if using) and process until smooth.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste and parmesan (if using) and process until just mixed, tasting and adding more salt and pepper if needed.
4. Toss with hot pasta (I like this with whole wheat linguini), and serve with crusty bread.