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READY IN 20 mins

Penne With Garlic Pesto

Read Reviews (6)

"This pesto recipe is made with vegetable stock instead of olive oil." — Laura Jull

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

2/3 cup vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons pine nuts
12 ounces penne pasta
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

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Directions

In a small saucepan, combine stock and garlic cloves. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until garlic is soft. Alternatively, microwave on High for 5 minutes in a microwave safe bowl.
Add basil to the bowl of a food processor; chop fine. Blend in stock mixture. Add Parmesan cheese and pine nuts; chop fine. Pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain well, and return to pot. Stir in pesto to coat pasta. Toss with tomatoes.

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PREP 20 mins
READY IN 20 mins

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I didn't make the past dish, but I did make the pesto from this recipe. It was quite good! I've been looking for a lower-fat pesto and this recipe definitely fits the bill. I found that I didn't need quite as much broth as was called for and I did end up adding about 1/2 T. olive oil to make it a bit creamier. Also, use a low-sodium broth. For those who love the taste of pesto, but want to avoid some of the fat--this recipe is the way to go!

—Laurel

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Aug 08, 2006

Use less vegetable stock that reccomended, I found that my pesto was too soup-y.

—Alexa

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10 Ratings

Jun 05, 2007

Went pretty fast :) I used about half of the vegetable stock and added some olive oil. Also, instead of using whole tomatoes I tossed the pasta with sliced sun-dried tomoatoes and small cubes of chicken sauteed with a hint of crushed red pepper. I tried to save some leftovers, but they were swiped before I could get the container into the fridge ;)

—TheLaughingSun

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Jul 08, 2006

Not the best pesto in the world, but still quite good. It's amazing that it's that good with so little fat! This is now my new default pesto recipe, and I'll use the pesto in everything in the future. I only used half the vegetable broth, though.

—Cory P

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Sep 26, 2003

Wonderful first try with pesto. I used another sauce recipe from this site, but did substitute vegetable stock for half of the oil. I also used walnuts, as that recipe suggested. I enjoyed this very much, my hubby was not too sure. Thank you Laura!

—SweetBasil

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Aug 07, 2012

We didnt really like this dish all that much. Very pretty dish but I think its one of those you have to have a taste for. Plus I should have known with my little ones it would fail, because of it being so different. Thanks for the recipe though :)

—AshleyE

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Nutrition

Calories
377 kcal
19%

Carbohydrates
66.6 g
21%

Cholesterol
6 mg
2%

Fat
6.4 g
10%

Fiber
4.4 g
17%

Protein
16.1 g
32%

Sodium
157 mg
6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Penne With Garlic Pesto

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 377
Calories from Fat: 58

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.4g 10 %
Saturated Fat 2g 10 %
Cholesterol 6mg 2 %
Sodium 157mg 6 %
Potassium 449mg 13 %
Total Carbohydrates 66.6g 21 %
Dietary Fiber 4.4g 17 %
Protein 16.1g 32 %
Sugars 5.5g
Vitamin A 28 %
Vitamin C 23 %
Calcium 15 %
Iron 35 %
** Thiamin 10 %
** Niacin 52 %
** Vitamin B6 14 %
** Magnesium 25 %
** Folate 14 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.