Sunday Dinner: Pasta with low-fat walnut pesto

Green is good!

You might be ready to pack away the St. Patrick’s Day shamrocks and "Kiss Me I’m Irish" buttons, but green can still be the color of the day! Keep the green alive by serving a Sunday dinner of pasta with low-fat walnut pesto!

Find your green thumb

Keep green in season all year with an indoor herb garden! The recent holiday shamrocks and four-leaf clovers can provide just the touch of green you need to inspire you and your family to plant an indoor herb garden. It’s a fun activity that will also help teach your kids about where food comes from and how it grows. The pesto in this Sunday dinner recipe is made with parsley -- definitely something you can grow in your family’s herb garden!

Simple steps to your own herb garden

Pick the herbs you’d like to grow, get your supplies together, plant the seeds, and with a bit of care, you’ll see sprouts of green that will soon be ready to work into your family meals! This is a fun and easy activity for the whole family. To learn more about how to get your garden together, check out this SheKnows feature, Creating an indoor herb garden.

Pasta with low-fat walnut pesto recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons walnuts, toasted
• 2 slices whole wheat country bread, crusts trimmed, and torn into pieces
• 1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 12 ounces linguine or fettuccini
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese shavings

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta al dente, according to the package directions. When finished cooking, drain the pasta, cover it and set it aside.
2. Meanwhile, add the bread, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and walnuts to a food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped.
3. Next, add the yogurt and olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth.
4. Top the warm pasta with the pesto sauce and mix together until the pasta is well coated with the sauce.
5. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

You’ll soon be able to make this dish with herbs from your own garden! It’s a great way to bring the family together for a fabulous Sunday dinner!

More Sunday Dinner recipes to try

Spring fever fix with quick avocado sandwich wraps
Mediterranean tuna salad in radicchio bowls
A Chinese adventure with stir-fried orange beef