Pesto

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I’m really excited to share this one. I went in a few different directions before coming up with my final draft (so many pestos were made in the process of coming up with this bad boy). Guys to the point that I was DREAMING ABOUT IT. I’m in the middle of Iron Flame by Rebeca Yarros and my boyfriend made me watch two episodes of the dragon show on HBO, so I think that’s why I was in like a medieval dragon world in my dream. But I was mashing up basil leaves to make pesto in my dream. And you know when you wake up from a dream but you’re not fully up, the dream is so vivid, that you feel like if you don’t really open up your eyes you can fall back to sleep. Well, that’s how I felt. And I kept my eyes closed just trying to get back to the castle to finish up my pesto (😂). 

From all my attempts, what I have come to realize is that we must make sure we are very good quality olive oil and parmesan cheese. Ina Garten, the queen herself, is known to say “use the good olive oil” in many of her recipes. Well, I have to give the same advice here. Okay this is brutally honest and they knock it out of the park in so many other things. I still buy the bulk of my groceries from Trader Joes. HOWEVER, their block of parmesan cheese and olive oil, I used them for the first few batches and they kept falling flat on the flavor I was looking for. So, I walked a few more blocks to Whole Foods, who often seem to have a parmesan cheese sale and bought a little bit of a higher quality block of cheese and olive oil. (Brand of olive oil I have below where you see my recipe.)

But before you get to the recipe, let’s review the health benefits of basil and extra virgin olive oil, shall we?

Focusing on Basil’s NO: Nitrates & Your Health

Meet Nitric Oxide (NO): NO is a vital messenger in your body. Your artery linings release it to relax and widen blood vessels, ensuring smooth blood flow. That’s the magic behind nitroglycerin pills for chest pain and Viagra for erectile dysfunction.

The Real Concern: If your arteries can't produce enough NO, they stiffen, raising blood pressure and heart attack risk. Free radicals are the villains here, gobbling up NO and turning its production process into a chaos factory of more free radicals.

Fight Back with Antioxidants: Load up on antioxidant-rich plant foods to combat free radicals. Studies show that switching from a standard Western diet to a high-antioxidant one (think berries over bananas, dark chocolate over white) can significantly improve artery function in just two weeks.

Boost NO with Nitrate-Rich Foods: Beets and leafy greens are your best friends. These veggies are rich in natural nitrates, which your body converts into NO. Beet juice can drop systolic blood pressure by 10 points within hours, lasting all day. Imagine the impact on those with high blood pressure!

Basil Makes the List: The top ten nitrate-rich foods are mostly greens, and guess what? Basil is one of them!

Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive oil is a staple in a heart-healthy diet, but not all olive oils are created equal. Enter extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)—the Simone Biles of olive oils.

Heart Love: All olive oils are rich in monounsaturated fats, which can lower that pesky "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Antioxidant Power: EVOO is packed with phenols, giving it extra antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers.

Processing Matters: EVOO is mechanically pressed without high heat or chemicals, keeping those phenols intact. Regular olive oil? Not so lucky—loses some good stuff during processing.

So olive oil is still fat, but let’s not be crazy and wipe out all fat in our diets. Try to see if you could swap out butter for EVOO to truly reap the benefits.

The Takeaway: Basil and olive oil aren't just for flavor—they're heart heroes. Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) lowers bad cholesterol, fights inflammation, and shields you from disease with its antioxidant powers. Basil boosts nitric oxide (NO) to keep blood vessels relaxed and blood pressure in check. Load up on these tasty, health-boosting powerhouses and let your heart thank you. 🫒🌿

Okay, okay, now for the recipe 😊

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PESTO RECIPE

Serves 4 hungry people

Roasted Veggies:

• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets

• 8 oz cherry tomatoes

• 2 tbsp Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• ¼ tsp Italian seasoning

• Red pepper flakes, to taste

Pesto Sauce: (will make 1 cup)

• 6 oz basil leaves

• 4 tbsp pine nuts

• 8 garlic cloves

• 1 cup olive oil

  • THE GOOD one, like Ina Garten would say, BUT REALLY IT MAKES THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE

  • If you need a recommendation: I used Kosterina Everyday extra virgin olive oil (purchased from Whole Foods)

• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

  • The second ingredient that will make or break your pesto sauce… get the GOOD cheese (Whole Foods parm cheese block will work well)

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 tsp chili flakes

Pasta:

• A box (14.5 oz-16 oz)

  • I recommend using rotini or fusilli so the pesto sauce can get stuck in all the swirls and crevices of the pasta

  • Want extra health? Try a whole wheat box or a protein plus Barilla pasta box

• Salt

  
  

Instructions:

1. PESTO sauce first. The flavors really need to sit and blend, so make this at least 4 hours before the meal or the night before. Blend together everything except the chili flakes. After the sauce is blended, mix in the chili flakes. Pop that baby into a jar or airtight container and put into the fridge. Wait for the magic to happen.

2. Roasted Veggies:

   1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

   2. Make sure the broccoli florets are about the same size, if you have some big ones, cut in half. Different sizes will make them roast at different speeds in the oven.

   3. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.

   4. Place broccoli florets on one side and the cherry tomatoes on the other side of a large baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto the veggies (yup, on both of them). Sprinkle salt and pepper. MAKE SURE that the veggies are fully covered in the olive oil (usually my broccoli will need more than 1 tbsp of olive oil and the tomatoes will take less than 1 tbsp). If your veggies don’t have a coat of olive everywhere, they could get a little burnt in the oven.

   5. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning on the cherry tomatoes and the pepper flakes (only to taste, just use a little, our pesto sauce will already have a kick) on the broccoli.

   6. Pop the veggies into the oven for 20 minutes. Make sure to flip the pan at 10 minutes to ensure everything cooks evenly.

3. Pasta:

   • While the veggies are cooking, boil your water to make the pasta. MAKE SURE TO SALT YOUR PASTA. Once the pasta is done, feel free to drizzle olive oil onto the pasta to avoid it sticking.

     
     

Assembling:

• If you’re going to eat everything, super easy – combine in a large serving bowl and enjoy!

• If you think there might be leftovers, then I would suggest making individual plates… That beautiful pesto sauce will be soaked up by the pasta if you add everything together today and want to eat more tomorrow.

• Serve with a small dish of extra grated parm cheese and add as you please.

I hope you guys enjoy!

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Educational Sources

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/is-extra-virgin-olive-oil-extra-healthy

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-olive-oil

https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/good-food/olive-oils-health-benefits-and-why-you-should-add-it-to-your-diet/2024/04

Greger, M., & Stone, G. (2016). How Not To Die. Macmillan

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