All Good Gifts

Make your own Pesto in five minutes! Serve it with your favorite pasta for a really quick and luscious meal. We have our own basil plants by the kitchen door and enjoy their aroma and flavor all through the growing season. At harvest time, we make and fresh our own pesto, omitting the cheese substitute until cooking. If you are concerned about calories, the oil can be reduced by half, but the taste will suffer for it. We find it best to reserve this dish for time when we have had a light lunch and can indulge at dinner. Glyn and Will

Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (first cold pressed)
2 tbsp water
1/2 cup Go Veggie Parmesan Cheese Substitute 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup canned, drained cannellinni beans
4 oz pasta, dried

Procedure
1 Combine the basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, salt, peppers and water in the blender.
2 Process thoroughly stopping when necessary to scrape down the side of the blender.
3 Transfer to a small saucepan and heat till hot but not boiling,
4 Stir in the parmesan and the beans.
5 Adjust the seasoning and keep warm.
6 Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and combine with the pesto.
7 If desired, add a bit more water to slightly thin the pesto.

8 Serve at once.
Servings: 2
Yield: 1/3 cup
Degree of Difficulty: Very easy
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/2 of a recipe (7.2 ounces).

Recipe Type
Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Pasta, Sauce, Vegan