The Perfect Spinach Pesto Omelet

I am notoriously picky when it comes to breakfast foods. My breakfast ritual is a sacred part of my routine and arguably my favorite part of my day. Sheepishly, I’ll admit that I eat breakfast in bed and drink my coffee slowly before I even consider getting dressed (perks of not having any 8 am’s this semester) each morning. Some people meditate, I sip my latte under a mountain of blankets – it’s my own personal therapy.

Particularly, I am a sucker for an egg-white omelet above all other breakfast foods and sometimes crave one for lunch or dinner too. Recently, I had leftover pesto and added a tablespoon to my egg whites one morning. The result was magical. Ever since then, I’ve been keeping a batch of pesto on hand for my morning omelet and it has since become my favorite start to the morning.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 egg whites (I like using liquid egg whites)
• 1 heaping tablespoon spinach pesto (see below for recipe)
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: top with Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning

Spinach Pesto:

• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 heaping tbsp. lightly dried basil or 4-5 leaves fresh basil
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation for the Pesto:

1. Add all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until ingredients are fully combined. Scrape the sides of the food processor and pulse again to ensure you don’t get any chunks of spinach or garlic left behind.
2. If you like a looser consistency, you can drizzle in more olive oil while the ingredients blend together.
3. To store, keep pesto in a glass jar in the fridge, or you can also freeze the pesto and it will last up to a couple months!

Omelet Preparation:

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small, nonstick pan over medium, low heat.
2. Add the spinach to the pan and cook until it begins to wilt. Transfer the spinach to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any excess liquids from the spinach.
3. Spray the pan from earlier with nonstick cooking spray and place back on the heat.
4. Whisk together the egg whites and pesto together until well combined and add to the pan.
5. Swirl the egg mixture consistently until the eggs begin to set. Once small bubbles begin to form on the surface of the egg layer, sprinkle the goat cheese over the top, allowing it to melt into the eggs.
6. Add the spinach to one side of the omelet and fold the other side over the half containing the spinach. Allow the omelet to cook for another minute so that any excess liquid from the pesto and spinach can evaporate.
7. Transfer the finished omelet to a plate and season with salt, pepper, and EBTB seasoning if desired!

Bon appétit! I hope you love this light and easy breakfast option as much as I do!

xo,

Grace