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Eight Check-Mark Pesto

A plant-forward pesto that Dr. Greger designed to knock out eight Daily Dozen checkmarks in a single sauce, using basil, toasted walnuts, garlic, lemon, fresh turmeric, pinto beans, and white miso blended smooth and spooned over whole-grain pasta.

From How Not to Die

Eight Check-Mark Pesto
Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Yield
enough for 1.5 cups cooked pasta (about 2 servings)
Category
Sauce
Cuisine
Italian

Nutrition (estimated)

per 1 pasta bowl (half of pesto over 3/4 cup cooked whole-grain pasta)
Calories
280 kcal
Protein
10 g
Fat
9 g
Carbs
40 g
Fiber
7 g
Sugar
2 g
Sodium
330 mg

Ingredients

  • fresh basil leaves
  • toasted walnuts
  • garlic
  • peeled lemon
  • lemon zest
  • fresh turmeric root
  • pinto beans
  • water or bean liquid
  • white miso
  • pepper
  • whole-grain pasta
WalnutsTurmericPinto Beans

Instructions

  1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
  2. Serve over about 1½ cups cooked whole-grain pasta.

Active Compounds

Nutrients and bioactive compounds delivered by this recipe's ingredients.

Omega-3 fatty acids
From: Walnuts
Ellagitannins
From: Walnuts
Polyunsaturated fats
From: Walnuts
Curcumin
From: Turmeric

May Support

Health conditions and aging processes this recipe's compounds may influence, based on the source research.

Age-Related Artery Stiffness
Improves · via Walnuts
Cancer
Reduces risk of · via Walnuts
Cognitive decline
Improves · via Walnuts
Cardiovascular Disease
Protects against · via Walnuts
Stroke
Reduces risk of · via Walnuts
Heart disease
Improves · via Walnuts
All-Cause Mortality
Reduces risk of · via Walnuts
Aging
Reduces risk of · via Walnuts
Telomere Shortening
Protects against · via Omega-3 fatty acids
Bone mineral density loss
Protects against · via Omega-3 fatty acids
Sarcopenia
Protects against · via Omega-3 fatty acids
Osteoarthritis
Protects against · via Omega-3 fatty acids
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Protects against · via Omega-3 fatty acids
Parkinson's disease
Protects against · via Omega-3 fatty acids
Alzheimer's disease
Protects against · via Omega-3 fatty acids
Dementia
Protects against · via Omega-3 fatty acids
DNA Damage
Protects against · via Turmeric
Knee Osteoarthritis
Improves · via Turmeric
Colorectal cancer
Protects against · via Turmeric
Pancreatic Cancer
Protects against · via Turmeric
Chronic inflammation (inflammaging)
Reduces risk of · via Turmeric
Ulcerative Colitis
Improves · via Turmeric
Endothelial dysfunction
Improves · via Turmeric
Rheumatoid arthritis
Reduces risk of · via Turmeric
Lupus Nephritis
Improves · via Turmeric
Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS)
Protects against · via Curcumin
Neurodegenerative Disease
Reduces risk of · via Curcumin

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