- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup raw blanched almonds
- 1 cup sun-dried tomato (packed in oil), drained
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, or to taste
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, such as fleur de sel
To make the pesto, first, add the garlic and almonds to a food processor and pulse until quite fine. Next, add the sun-dried tomatoes and blend again to form a paste.
Next, add the spinach, basil, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice and blend a few times. If needed, use a spatula to ensure the spinach and basil are being pulled down into the blade. You are looking for the spinach and basil to blend in nicely but you still want to see little flecks of green throughout the pesto.
Next, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. You are just looking to loosen up/thin out the pesto — it should be somewhat spreadable. With that said, the final consistency is up to you. It can be left a bit thicker but it will incorporate into dishes a bit better if it is thinned out a bit with the olive oil.
Lastly, taste for seasoning, add a bit of salt, nutritional yeast, and/or lemon juice as desired.
The pesto can be made ahead of time and it will keep for several days in the refrigerator.
- 1 pkg. linguine pasta (for gluten-free be sure to use a gluten-free pasta)
- 1 to 2 tbsp sea salt
To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil and then season with salt. Taste the water, it should just taste a bit salty.
Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Be sure to RESERVE at least a cup of the cooking liquid before you drain the pasta.
- 1/4 cup Plant-Based Parmesan, or to taste
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish
To finish the pasta, add about half of the pesto the pasta, along with a bit of the reserved pasta water, a bit of Plant-Based Parmesan, some red pepper flakes, and some freshly ground black pepper and mix to evenly coat the pasta with the pesto.
Taste for seasoning and consistency. If the pasta seems a bit too dry, add a touch more water. If the pasta feels like it could use more flavor, add a touch more pesto.
Once you have reached the right consistency and flavor, serve immediately. If desired, serve with a bit more Plant-Based Parmesan and a lemon wedge. The lemon just adds a nice pop of brightness to the final dish.