Vegan Creamy Cashew Pesto
Confession: I’ve never been a big pesto fan. I could never understand why people put it on their pizza’s, pastas, etc, instead of tomato sauce. That was, until I worked at an Italian restaurant. We served a pesto-based pizza and though I resisted trying it for as long as I could, as soon as I tried it the pizza very quickly became one of my favourites on the menu.
Though I don’t have the recipe for this pizza, and it wasn’t vegan, I tried my best to create something that matched what I was looking for in a good pesto: something creamy that can double as a sauce and a spread. Our basil plant is doing extremely well, and I decided it was time to start using up its leaves.
I love putting this pesto on sandwiches, using it as a dip, and making it into a pasta sauce. You can find my Vegan Creamy Cashew Pesto recipe below, as well as the pasta recipe. The pasta would also be great served cold as a pasta salad!
Are you a pesto fan? What’s your favourite way to eat it?
A bagel with vegan cream cheese, Vegan Creamy Cashew Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes, Nutritional Yeast and Black Pepper - a quick and delicious lunch!
Vegan Creamy Cashew Pesto
Serves Approx. 1 & 1/2 cups of Pesto
Time: Approx. 10 Minutes
Ingredients
1/3 cup of raw cashews
2 cups of packed basil leaves (the fresher, the better)
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of almond milk
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
3 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tsp of chopped garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
To Make:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Refrigerate and store in an airtight container.
Creamy Cashew Pesto Pasta
Serves Approx. 4 ppl
Time: Approx. 20 Minutes
Ingredients
Pasta of your choice
1/2 cup of leftover pasta water
1 & 1/4 - 1/2 Cup of Vegan Creamy Cashew Pesto
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/4 of an onion
1/2 cup of olives
2 tbsp os olive oil
To Make:
Cook Pasta as per usual. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
Add the olive oil to a saucepan on medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.
Add the cherry tomatoes, olives, pasta water, and pesto. Stir and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Stir sauce mixture into the pasta and serve. For extra cheesy flavour, sprinkle with nutritional yeast.
The measurements for this recipe were inspired by Cookie and Kate’s Pesto Recipe. I adapted it to make it vegan, and played around with the amounts for a lighter, less oil-heavy option.
