Serve this on Carrot & Parsnip Latkes (http://www.recipething.com/recipes/show/5811)

“I love the combo of toasty almonds and basial as opposed to the more classic pine nuts or walnuts. Spread this on pizza, toss with spaghetti, or place a dollop on a baked potato and call me on your way to heaven.”

“I learned to make Gras Pistas from Nadia Santini in a small restaurant called Dal Pescatore in the Montava region of Italy. The time I spent in Nadia’s kitchen was truly my greatest experience while working in Italy; while Nadia cooked, her mother and father helped, and her husband, Antonio, ran the front. Dal Pescatore was the kind of place where you went to the hen house when you needed an egg or to the eel pong when you needed an eel. Nadia taught me an enormous amount about the cooking of her region. She served this over grilled polenta, taking basil to a new plateau.
The Italians have pesto and Gras Pistas, and the French have pistou, all fo which were probably developed as a way to preserve basil. Basically a basil and parsley pesto, Gras Pistas was originally made with lard. My version uses what today’s health advocates consider more healthy—olive oil. Of course, this could all change tomorrow.
Gras Pistas is great spooned over almost anything: polenta, mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, chicken, fish, steak, or lamb, or as a dip for focaccia.”

Every cook needs a good recipe for marinara sauce. This one can be prepared in less than an hour and used in many ways. It is traditionally served over pasta, but is equally delicious with polenta or rice. It also makes a wonderful sauce for grilled vegetables or baked tempeh or tofu. Tomatoes cooked with oil provide a source of lycopene, one of the carotenes linked to protection from prostate cancer.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving:
146 calories
8 g total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
20 g carbohydrate
4 g protein
4 g fiber
804 mg sodium