Sicilian Pesto and a Book Review #SundayFunday

Happy Easter!!!!

Sicilian Pesto contains the basil, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese and pine nuts that we have come to know and love but it also contains tomatoes and fresh ricotta cheese.  It is creamy and delicious and turns your favorite pasta into a quick and easy meal.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing Homemade Spice/Herb Blends today....

Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures is hosting, today.  I wasn't sure that there would be a Sunday Funday event today since it is Easter Sunday.....but what better day to celebrate Sunday Funday?

The recipe I am sharing with you was perfect for me to serve on Good Friday when I was fasting and abstaining from meat.  It is also a wonderful Meatless Monday Meal if you are not trying to use up leftovers tomorrow.  

Let's take a look at what the others are sharing today......

• Chinese Five Spice Powder by Food Lust People Love
• DIY Country Gravy Mix by Palatable Pastime
• Homemade Garam Masala by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Homemade Taco Seasoning by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Italian Herb Blend by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Sicilian Pesto by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spicy Fried Fish With Homemade Fish Masala by Sneha's Recipe

Today we celebrate Spring.  That means Summer is right around the corner.  Summer = an abundance of tomatoes and basil.  Earmark this recipe for a hot summer night when you don't want to be in the kitchen any longer than it takes to boil some pasta.  That will be th only cooking required.

Or forget the pasta and cut up a loaf of good, crusty Italian bread, open a bottle of wine and eat al fresco, you don't even need to dirty tools just scoop out the pesto with the bread and mangia.  While you are sitting out there on the deck, with your delicious pesto and glass of wine.  Pamper yourself even further by relaxing with a good book.

I enjoyed this sequel to It Ends With Us that I read for our Lit Happens book club.  This book picks up right where the last stopped.  It could have been one long book and if you haven't read It Ends With Us yet you might want to get both and read them one right after the other.  

It begins with us has Lili learning to live her own life while trying to maintain a calm environment for her daughter whose father is anything but calm.  Lili hooks up with her high school love and the relationship is nothing at all like her marriage that was filled with angst and trauma.  I liked this novel slightly more because of that.

The boyfriend, Atlas, owns a couple of restaurants and often brings Lili pasta to her flower shop for lunch.  I thought that this Sicilian Pesto would have been a great way to dress that pasta. 

I will be sharing this post over at Foodies Read.  Stop by and see what the others are reading this month.....

Yield: 1 cup of Pesto

Author: Wendy Klik

Sicilian Pesto

Sicilian Pesto contains the basil, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese and pine nuts that we have come to know and love but it also contains tomatoes and fresh ricotta cheese. It is creamy and delicious and turns your favorite pasta into a quick and easy meal.

Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 c. finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 c. fresh ricotta cheese
• 2 T. pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• leaves from 1 bunch basil
• 2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place the drained tomatoes in a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add the garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. Pulse several more times.
2. Add the basil and 2 T. of olive oil to the food processor and pulse until pureed, adding more olive oil if needed to obtain a sauce consistency.
3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the ricotta cheese. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.
4. This pesto is delicious tossed with your favorite type of pasta or served with a crusty loaf of bread.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found at The Pasta Project

Nutrition Facts

Calories

1429.15

Fat (grams)

109.77 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

41.88 g

Carbs (grams)

53.46 g

Fiber (grams)

8.62 g

Net carbs

44.85 g

Sugar (grams)

19.56 g

Protein (grams)

66.99 g

Sodium (milligrams)

2694.58 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

212.46 mg

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Property of A Day in the Life on the Farm