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Classic Vegan Pesto

March 15, 2018 By Sarah 14 Comments

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Classic vegan pesto made with hemp hearts! This tastes JUST like the pesto I grew up with, but now made nut free! Plus, it’s  just 4 ingredients + pasta!

overhead shot of Vegan Pesto with text overlay
This post was originally published in September 2015

Springtime dinners

Spring is around the corner in Seattle!  Just two weeks ago we had a wild day of snow and ice, and now we are consistently in the 50s with abundant sunshine!  I know 50s doesn’t sound that warm, but in Seattle the moment the sun comes out we move into full on spring/summer mode!  Kids wear shorts, people drive with the windows down, and everyone is in a happier mood!  And when the temps climb, even a little bit, I start turning to warm weather recipes!  Just this week I’ve made my Lentil Salad, a variation of my Balsamic Bean Salad, and my Citrus Explosion Green Smoothie.

bowl of Vegan Pesto pasta with blue background

Classic Vegan Pesto

Tonight’s dinner is a Classic Vegan Pesto.  Pesto was a summertime staple when I was growing up—it seems like my mom made it once a week!  I’ve made lots of pestos of my own, but I always doctored them up with tofu feta, artichokes, and macadamia nuts and garlic scapes.  I love them all, but I missed my mom’s, so I’ve gone back to basics and replicated her recipe.

bowl of Vegan Pesto with bundle of basil in the background

bowl of Vegan Pesto sauce with blue and white striped napkin in background

Of course, with Jonathan’s allergies traditional pine nuts are a no go.  Instead I use protein rich hemp seeds to create a nut free pesto, and they’re perfect!  A clove of fresh garlic and a hefty pinch of salt give this just the right kick, and the olive oil gives it a nice richness so you’ll never miss the parmesan.  And with just 4 ingredients, salt & pepper, and pasta, it couldn’t be easier!

bowl of Vegan Pesto with blue napkin and black fork

Look how easy it is to make Classic Vegan Pesto!

Give this a try now that the weather is warm and sunny—it’s sure to be a hit!  Be sure to take a picture, and share it on social media!  Give me a tag so that I can see!  {#frieddandelions // @frieddandelions}

fried dandelions

 

Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Classic Vegan Pesto

Classic vegan pesto made with hemp hearts! This tastes JUST like the pesto I grew up with, but made nut free! Plus, just 4 ingredients + pasta!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Pasta
Author: Sarah De la Cruz

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces basil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup hemp hearts
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • fresh black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 pound of pasta (my favorite is capellini)

Instructions

  • Prepare pasta according to package directions.
  • While the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce. 
  • Wash your basil and remove leaves from stems. 
  • Place the leaves into your food processor with the garlic, hemp, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
  • Run the food processor* to break up the leaves, stopping to scrape the sides a few times.
  • Remove sauce from food processor and toss with cooked pasta. Serve!

Notes

*I prefer to use my food processor for pesto. You could use your blender, but I find that the sauce gets broken down too much this way. I like to have small pieces of basil rather than a perfectly blended sauce.
Optional: garnish with vegan parmesan.  I like Violife brand!


close up bowl of Vegan Pesto with bundle of basil in background

Filed Under: Entree, Recipe Tagged With: basil, glutenfree, pesto, summer

Previous Post: « Citrus Explosion Green Smoothie
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