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A Few Changes Takes Fat Out Of Pesto

Marian Burros New York Times Service

Because it has nuts, oil and cheese, pesto does not come immediately to mind when the subject of low-fat food comes up.

But there is a way to make a superb, if unorthodox, version of pesto. It can be served over pasta, but for a change I tried it over potatoes, which absorbed the glorious flavors.

Serve the pesto potatoes with a tomato salsa using the best tomatoes you can find - preferably, fresh from your garden.

Pesto Potatoes

1-1/2 pounds small new potatoes

1 large clove garlic

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1-1/2 cups reduced-fat ricotta

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 ounces blue cheese

2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Scrub but do not peel the potatoes. Cook them in water to cover for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on their size; do not let potatoes get mushy.

Turn on the food processor and put the garlic through the feed tube to process.

Wash, dry and remove basil leaves from the stems. Add the basil, ricotta, yogurt, blue cheese and vinegar to the processor work bowl. Blend throughly. Season to taste with pepper, and mix in pine nuts.

When potatoes are cooked, drain and cut in halves or quarters, depending on size. Toss with sauce and serve.

Yield: 3 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 445 calories, 12 grams fat (24 percent fat calories), 30 milligrams cholesterol, 400 milligrams sodium, 25 grams protein, 65 grams carbohydrate.

Tomato Salsa

16 ounces ripe tomatoes

1 jalapeno

1 small clove garlic

1 small red onion, to yield 1/4 cup finely chopped

Few sprigs oregano, to yield 2 tablespoons chopped

Few sprigs parsley, to yield 2 tablespoons chopped

Juice of 1 small lime

Chop tomatoes. Wash, trim, seed and quarter jalapeno. Turn on the food processor and put the jalapeno and garlic through the feed tube to process.

Finely chop the onion; wash and chop oregano and parsley; squeeze lime. Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Yield: 3 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 45 calories, 1 gram fat (20 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 30 milligrams sodium, 2 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate.

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