When I first became vegan I feared that pesto would never be the same without Parmesan, but I can truly, honestly say I do not miss it. There is so much flavour from the herbs, nuts and salt that you don’t even notice the lack of cheese. Trust me! This is one of those recipes that I never, ever measure and very rarely make the same twice. I just chuck everything in the food processor and blend it until I am happy with the consistency. I usually make a double batch and freeze half in two separate containers for lazy Sunday pasta dinners.
MAKES 250 ML (9 OZ)
SHOPPING LIST
a big bunch of basil
a big bunch of parsley
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled juice of 1 lemon
a large drizzle of olive oil (about 75 ml/2½ fl oz/⅓ cup)
½ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste a large handful of toasted pine nuts or cashews
YOU NEED TO…
Remove the large stalks from the basil and parsley and roughly chop the leaves and finer stalks. Place them in a food processor.
Roughly chop the garlic and add to the food processor along with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Blend until well combined. I like a thick pesto. If you would like a more runny pesto, add more oil.
Add the nuts and blend until finely chopped. Use immediately or store in an airtight jar until ready to use. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES …
Instead of pine nuts, a combination of pumpkin and sunflower seeds also works well, as do walnuts. To get a really creamy pesto, you can substitute the olive oil an avocado. It is insanely delicious, and the lemon juice will keep it fresh for a couple of days, but it is best eaten on the day if doing this.
