Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups packed fresh basil (large stems removed)
- 3 Tbsp raw almonds
- 2 large cloves garlic (peeled) or 1.5 teaspoons pre-chopped garlic
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil*
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 16 oz pasta, for serving
- Pecorino Romano or Parmesan for serving (if you don’t need it dairy-free!).
Instructions
PESTO:
- In a good food processor, pulse the basil, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast (if using), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped.
- With the blender still running, add one tablespoon of olive oil at a time until it forms a smooth and thick consistency. It’s usually 3-4 tablespoons for me.
- Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl.
- Stir in the cheese (if using).
- Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste. I add quite a bit of each!
I’ve given you five steps but depending on whether you use cheese or a little extra salt and pepper, it could easily be only three steps. If you want to eat the pesto right out of the blender, you only need two steps. 🙂
PASTA:
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt to the water
- Add 16 oz pasta to building water and turn down the stove to a medium-high heat so it doesn’t boil over.
- Cook pasta until al dente, usually 5-8 minutes for small pasta. I typically cook my pasta for about 1 minute less than what’s recommended on the package since I like quite a bit of chew. Nothing is worse than mushy pasta!!
- Add your pasta to your bowl of pesto and toss while it’s all still hot. Serve hot or at room temperature. It’s also delicious cold so you’ll be able to enjoy leftovers for a few days.