Nothing beats fresh pesto sauce and pasta for an easy, yet satisfying meal. But, unless you have an indoor herb garden, in the cooler fall and winter months, the 2 cups of fresh basil leaves you need to make enough traditional pesto for a whole family can be hard to come by.

Sure, you can usually find fresh basil leaves in many upscale supermarkets. But 2 cups of it would make a casual family meal rather expensive.

To enjoy fresh pesto sauce all winter long, without breaking your budget, try spinach pesto. A large bag of fresh spinach leaves is only a couple of dollars and will make several batches of Spinach Pesto.

The beauty of pesto is you don’t have to cook it. Just pop a few ingredients into your blender or food processor and – Presto! It’s pesto!

Try this recipe:

SPINACH PESTO

2 c. packed fresh spinach leaves

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 c. olive oil (or less)

½ c. pine nuts (lightly toasted - if desired - they don't have to be toasted)

1/3 to 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Combine the spinach, garlic, pine nuts, and enough olive oil in a blender or food processor to make a smooth paste.

Add the cheese and balsamic vinegar. Stir to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When ready to serve with pasta, save a little of the water used to boil the pasta and mix it with the pesto sauce to thin it a little so it will be easier to mix throughout the pasta.

Serve your spinach pesto and pasta with a green salad, crusty bread, and a glass of your favorite wine for a casual, yet elegant, satisfying meal.

Note: This pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or so in a tightly covered container.

Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer and owner of the Three Angels Gourmet Co. Visit the company blog at http:// http://www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com for daily food tips or the Three Angesl website at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.com to order "heavenly gourmet mixes."

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