Dairy Free Basil Pesto - makes 1 1/4 cups pesto
My family LOVES pesto! Be it pesto pasta, tomato pesto salad in the summer, pesto pizza, the list of ways we love to use it goes on and on. Pesto is naturally gluten free, but, when I went dairy free, I thought I would have to go without. I was SO wrong! Now I make all kinds of pesto: kale pesto, lemon arugula pesto, mint pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, cilantro pesto, thai basil pesto……need I say more. My favorite, however, is without a doubt my dairy free basil pesto. It’s so good that my husband who is addicted to cheese says that he can’t even tell the difference from the original. I know you will love it!
Ingredients:
A generous 1/2 cup raw, organic walnuts (pieces or halves)
2-3 cloves garlic
2 2.5oz packages organic basil, cleaned and dried, large stems removed
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
6 oz. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Using a food processor is best for this. Add walnuts and garlic to food processor bowl and pulse until crumbly.
Add about 1/2 of the basil and 2 oz. (1/4 cup) olive oil and pulse until the basil is incorporated.
Repeat with the rest of the basil and another 2 oz. olive oil.
Using a spatula, push pesto down into the bowl of the food processor. Add 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, 1 tsp. kosher salt and several grinds of black pepper along with another 2 oz. olive oil. Process until mostly smooth.
Taste and add more salt/pepper/garlic as needed - if adding garlic at this point, I would recommend mincing it so that you don’t end up with a chunk!
Add pesto to your favorite pasta, pizza, top a piece of fish, or make cucumber basil gazpacho
*Pesto will stay in the fridge for up to a week, though will get darker in color as it oxidizes. I recommend freezing leftovers in muffin cups or mini muffin cups for a quick fix another time!