Spinach Pesto Appetizer

From EatingWell: May/June 1992 — Subscribe Now!

The EatingWell makeover of this pesto appetizer boasts about half of the calories and a quarter of the fat of the original recipe. Serve with crostini, crackers or French bread.

16 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes plus cooling time

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low carbohydrate | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups nonfat cottage cheese, pressed
1 10-ounce package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, for garnish, optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Place pressed cottage cheese, spinach, cream cheese, Romano cheese, egg, egg whites, garlic, basil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Spoon the spinach mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until firm, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
Place the pan on a serving plate, run a knife around the outer edge and remove pan sides. Garnish with tomatoes or basil leaves, if using.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 74 calories; 3 g fat (2 g sat, 1 g mono); 24 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein; 1 g fiber; 260 mg sodium; 106 mg potassium.

Exchanges: 1 fat