Pesto Presto!

I am absolutely in LOVE with pesto. However, it is kind of expensive and goes bad fast. So I used it across the week. First, I pulled out that frozen pizza crust (see earlier post) and spread it as my sauce. I added a fresh sliced heirloom tomato and some mozzarella cheese and that's all there was to it. Then I spread it on wraps and such for extra flavor. My favorite use of it was in my white bean soup recipe. It is warming up so some people might avoid soups but the white beans keep it springy in my opinion.

White Bean Pesto Soup

5 garlic cloves sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cans white canellini beans drained
3 cups chicken stock
3 tbs pesto
Shredded Parmesan

Saute the garlic in olive oil and red pepper flakes.
Add beans and 1/2 cup water. Stir in pesto and chicken broth. Simmer until thickened. Add the chicken broth. Simmer until heated through.

Now you have some more freedom here if you want to add pizazz. You can add some veggies or kalamata olives chopped. I just put some of the mixture into the blender because I prefer my white bean soups pureed. It makes it feel heartier to me. I garnished it with a bit more Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a few basil leaves.

It's quick and very gourmet! Enjoy!