In the last few weeks the basil in our garden has really filled out, and that can mean only one thing… Pesto time! There is really nothing better than the smell of fresh basil and the simplicity and taste of homemade pesto. You might think that recreating that unique flavour would be impossible without parmesan cheese, but it’s not. Using nutritional yeast instead of cheese is a great hack. This is a recipe that you’ll want to use again with your favourite pasta, and the addition of fried veggies on top makes a meal that everyone will love. The version pictured here is on gluten free, corn pasta but it’s great on penne or other pastas.
Homemade Vegan Pesto and Veggies on Pasta
Course: DinnerCuisine: VeganDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes20
minutes50
minutesIngredients
2 cups of packed fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp of pine nuts or other similar seed or nut (I often use pumpkin seeds and you can use sunflower seeds too)
3 large cloves of garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
4 Tbsp of nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp of olive oil
10 mushrooms, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
500 g of your favourite pasta
Directions
- Add the basil, garlic, nuts, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice and olive oil to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta to the pot and boil for 10 to 12 minutes, drain and put back in the pot.
- While the water is coming to a boil, add the mushrooms, onion and peppers to a frying pan and fry until the water evaporates and the veggies become soft.
- Now that the pesto, pasta and veggies are ready, add the veggies and pesto to the pasta and mix until well coated.
- Serve hot and enjoy!