Creamy Plant-Based Pesto in 5 minutes!

Creamy Plant-Based Pesto in 5 minutes!

While this sauce is not as popular as its cousins the Bolognese and the Alfredo, I expect this Italian special to take off in the near future.

It is a versatile sauce that can be used for dips, wraps, snacks and pasta. You can use it for anything really, as this sauce has vibrant and herbal notes that goes well with almost anything.

The recipe from Italy calls for pecorino cheese to be added. For this plant-based version by The Minimalist Baker, we will be skipping animal-based dairy and using nutritional yeast instead.

Ingredients for Pesto Sauce:

• 2 cups packed fresh basil 

• 3 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts (or sunflower seeds for nut-free)

• 3 large cloves garlic 

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1/4 tsp sea salt 

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 3-6 tbsp water (as needed for consistency)

Preparations:

1. Remove the basil stems and chop the basil

2. Peel 3 gloves of garlic and chop them

Blending the Sauce:

1. In a blender or food processor, add the basil, nuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and sea salt

2. Slowly pour in the olive oil into the opening as you blend the ingredients. This will help the mixture become smooth and creamy.

3. Slowly add water into the opening, one tablespoon (15ml) at a time until the mixture is thick but still able to flow.

4. Add to taste: more nutritional yeast for cheesiness, nuts for nuttiness, garlic for bite/zing, salt for saltiness, or lemon juice for sourness.

Storing the sauce:

1. Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to one week. 

2. For longer storage, pour the pesto into ice cube trays, freeze, to keep for up to 1 month or more.

Reheating the sauce:

1. Sauté or Stir-Fry: Heat in a wok or pan with vegetable oil.

2. Microwave: Add a couple of teaspoons of water, cover with cling film, and microwave in intervals until hot.

3. Bake: Cover with tinfoil and bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes.

4. Avoid Air Fryers & Pressure Cookers: These are less effective for reheating pesto pasta.

Serving:

1. For pasta: Reheat the sauce in a pan, and add your cooked pasta in the pan.

2. For dips: serve cold or reheated in a small bowl.

3. Recipe serves 240g (16 tablespoons) of sauce.

Notes from the Chef:

1. If avoiding oil, you can swap the extra virgin olive oil for vegetable broth or water to create a pesto sauce. This will still provide a creamy texture without using oil.

Link to original recipe:

https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-pesto-5-minutes/

Link to reheating Pesto:

https://gopesto.co.uk/blogs/pesto/reheat-pesto-pasta