A few posts back, I shared my Basil Pesto recipe that I absolutely love and I enjoy on the reg. Well, I decided one week to make a HUGE batch of it and incorporate the pesto into at least one meal a day during the work week. Do you think I got sick of pesto? Not a chance. I could eat it every day for every meal. And although I have zero self control, I do try and diversify my meals every once in awhile. This is also a great meal-prep trick. I always try to use the same ingredients across many of my meals in a given week. This reduces the money spent at the grocery store and also reduces waste. Admittingly, I have yet to master the art of buying just enough groceries to last me the week. I always seem to be throwing out unused old fruits and veggies!

So here is my week with pesto at a glance:

Monday: Pesto Quinoa Salad

I’ve posted this recipe a few times on Instagram, and that is because it is one of my favorite salads! It is so easy to put together and prep for the whole week, and it doesn’t involve a laundry list of ingredients.

Ingredients: ( makes one serving- double or triple up for the week)

1-2 Tbs Basil Pesto
1/2 Cup cooked Quinoa
1/2 cup halved Heirloom tomatoes
arugula
olive oil
lemon juice
A few mozzarella cheese balls
4 oz grilled chicken

Directions:

1. Mix together quinoa, pesto, and mozzarella cheese in a mixing bowl.
2. Squeeze a half a lemon or some lemon juice and 1 tsp olive oil on a bed of arugula.
3. On top of the arugula, add the quinoa pesto mixture, halved tomatoes, and grilled chicken strips.
Enjoy!

Tuesday: Pesto Meatballs with spaghetti squash

I made a big batch of these meatballs and froze half to enjoy in the weeks to come. I love meatballs because you can throw them on pasta, put in a soup, or add to salads. The options are really endless. These are also very lean and a healthy alternative to pre-made meatballs.

To make the meatballs:

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
3-4 tablespoons Basil Pesto
Spices (salt, pepper, italian seasonings, garlic, etc)

Directions:

1. Mix together all ingredients.
2. Form into meatballs (i like to make mini meatballs, but you can make them as big as you want!)
3. Place on baking pan and bake in oven on 400 degrees for 20 min (or until cooked through).
Enjoy!

Wednesday: Pesto Quinoa Salad

I never said repeats were cheating!

Thursday: Pesto Burger

This is the same exact recipe as the meatballs, just formed into burger patties! Build out your burger to however you would like it! I used a sandwich thin, sliced red onion, sliced tomatoes, spinach, more pesto, and the patty! So delicious!

Friday: Pesto Ricotta Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients: (makes 2 servings)

4 oz Pasta
1-2 cups Broccoli
3-4 Tbs Basil Pesto
3-4 Tbs Part-skim Ricotta Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbs olive oil
salt + pepper
red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup water.
2. Place broccoli in boiling water for 5 minutes to steam
3. Mix together the pasta, broccoli, pesto, ricotta, olive oil, parmesan, and spices. Add reserved pasta water to desired consistency.
Enjoy!