Have you ever found yourself getting home late from work and not knowing what you should eat for dinner? This happens to me way more than I would like to admit. Usually, when this happens, I turn to my trusty old friend, pasta. Pasta is always an easy dish that comes together in a few minutes. As much as I love pasta for a weeknight dinner, it can get old rather quickly if you don’t mix it up. That’s where this creamy, tangy, and oh so delicious basil pesto recipe comes in for the save. I was never really a fan of pesto in my pre-vegan days, but I was bored with olive oil-doused pasta and decided to give a vegan version of pesto a try. I didn’t realise my taste buds were in for a real treat, bottled/pre-made pesto doesn’t even come close to the delicious taste of freshly made pesto. Want to give it a try? Here’s what you’ll need: · 2 cups fresh basil · 3 tbsp walnuts or pine nuts · 2 tbsp lemon juice · 3 tbsp nutritional yeast · ¼ tbsp salt · 3 large garlic cloves · 2-3 tbsp olive oil · 3-5 tbsp water The method: 1. Add basil, walnuts, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic cloves to a blender or food processor 2. Blend on high until a paste forms 3. Add in 1 tbsp of oil at a time and blend, scrape down sides of blender as needed 4. Add in 1 tbsp of water at a time, until you’ve reached the desired consistency. You want something that’s thick and creamy 5. Add to pasta and enjoy! For those of you, who love the cheesy flavour of pesto; feel free to add a bit more nutritional yeast. I personally enjoy the nuttiness of pesto and always add an extra tablespoon of walnuts. Oh, and for those of you who love spice, feel free to add red crushed chilli flakes or chilli powder. We definitely add spice in our household. This pesto is also a wonderful addition to homemade pizzas, salad dressings, dips, sandwiches and other Italian dishes.