Pesto Pit-zas with Spinach & Broccoli
4 pita breads (8-inch)
1/2 cup basil pesto (see recipe below)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup cooked broccoli florets, chopped
10 ounces cooked spinach, squeezed dry (use how ever much you
have from the harvest or add in some cooked Swiss chard to equal
the amount needed.)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toast pita bread on cookie sheets, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Combine pesto, ricotta, broccoli, spinach and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Top each pita with 1/4 of the pesto and vegetable mixture, then top with mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake 12 minutes, or until cheese bubbles and begins to brown.
Makes 4 pita pizzas.
Basil Pesto
1 large bunch basil leaves (3 cups)
2 cloves garlic, cracked, skin removed
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided in half
3 ounces pine nuts, lightly toasted in a small pan or toaster oven
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Place basil in food processor. Place garlic in small dish, cover with half the oil and microwave on high 1 minute. Let stand 5 minutes to cool. Add garlic and oil and pine nuts to food processor and pulse grind into a paste. Transfer to a bowl and slowly stir in cheese, remaining oil and salt, to taste.
From “Veggie Meals,” by Rachel Ray, Lake Isle Press, New York, 2001.