This delicious pesto with a Thai twist make one of my all-time favorite lunches! It's easy to make and packs well in a lunch bag or picnic basket. I learned to make Thai Pesto many years ago from my friend Sarah. Over the years, my own version has evolved, and most recently I made some changes to make the recipe more diet friendly. Thai Pesto uses traditional basil as a base, but gets its Thai flavors from coconut milk, ginger, peanuts and lemongrass. A touch of Sriracha hot sauce provides the perfect level of back-heat.
In addition to being wonderful on cold noodles, Thai Pesto makes a great sauce for chicken and fish and is a refreshing alternative to traditional dips for fresh veggies.
Thai Pesto with Cold Whole Wheat Noodles,
Carrots and Scallions
makes 10 6oz. servings
Weight Watcher's Points Plus: 7 pts/serving
For the Pesto:
3 ounces fresh basil leaves (approx. 1 large bunch)
1 ounce (approx. 7 cloves) fresh garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 ounce (approx. 2-3 stalks) lemongrass, roughly chopped
3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 ounce (a walnut sized piece) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
3 Tablespoons Light Coconut Milk
Juice of a fresh lime
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil
For the Cold Noodle Salad:
1 pound organic whole wheat spaghetti
5 ounces thinly shredded carrots
Green section of 4 Scallions (Green Onions), thinly sliced
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to boil for the spaghetti. Cook pasta according to package instructions. In the final minute of cooking, add the shredded carrots to the pot. Drain, then rinse with cold water to stop cooking and remove extra starch. Set aside in a large bowl.
Step 2: In the bowl of a large food processor or in a high powered blender, puree all ingredients for the pesto until smooth.
Step 3: Add pesto and scallions to the bowl of pasta. Toss to evenly coat. Serve cold.
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