Who doesn't love a delicious pesto recipe? I had the day off last week and was craving a delicious, fresh, homemade pesto sauce. I stopped at the local market to pick up some fresh basil and got right to cooking!
As I browsed my fridge and pantry, I realized that I had forgotten to buy pine nuts at the grocery store. Instead, I had a huge bag of walnuts in the pantry. I swapped out pine nuts for walnuts in this recipe, which ended up working out perfectly. A few simple household ingredients made this dish come together within 15 minutes.
The only pasta we had on hand was the Barilla ProteinPlus Farfalle- what a great option for my yummy pesto! My mom keeps the ProteinPlus pastas on hand because my younger sister refuses to eat whole wheat pasta- she hates the taste :( The ProteinPlus varieties look and taste like regular pasta, but pack 10g of protein per serving! The ingredients include the following:
SEMOLINA (WHEAT), GRAIN AND LEGUME FLOUR BLEND [GRAINS AND LEGUMES (LENTILS, CHICKPEAS, FLAXSEED, BARLEY, OATS, SPELT), EGG WHITES, OAT FIBER], DURUM WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON (FERROUS SULFATE), THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID.
Basically, we're looking at regular semolina fortified with a fiber & protein rich grain/legume flour, egg whites, and vitamins. This is a great healthier pasta to incorporate and is available at almost any supermarket.
I was so hungry, so didn't take a lot of pictures, but below is a quick shot of the finished product! A bowl of this pasta made for the perfect lunch, and my family couldn't get enough of it. Plus, this happens to be a vegan-friendly recipe! You can certainly sprinkle some fresh parmesan cheese on top of the pasta, but the sauce itself is very flavorful. Try it out tonight for a quick, easy, and hassle-free dinner.
Vegan Homemade Pesto Recipe
Makes ~6 Servings
Ingredients
2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 Cup Walnuts
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Himalayan Salt & Ground Pepper, To Taste
Directions
Add the basil, walnuts and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until coarsely ground.
Drizzle the olive oil in while streaming the mixture in the processor. Add the lemon juice, Himalayan salt, and ground pepper.
Combine with your favorite whole wheat pasta or zoodles. Enjoy!
Xoxo,
Stef