Vegan Basil Pesto Pasta Sauce

This is a recipe I have been meaning to make for a long time as it used to be one of my favourite pasta dishes. If you go into the shops these days to buy pre-made pesto sauce, they all contain cheese... So we have to make a plan and make our own! This is a really simple recipe which is great so anyone can make it!

I like a lemon flavour in my basil pesto but you can definitely opt to leave it out as it is not everyone's preferred taste. I think it gives it a nice tangy kick, so I'd suggest trying it to give a different dimension to the dish.

If you do not mind the texture of blended cashews then you do not need to soak them but if you want more of a creamy, smooth texture I would suggest soaking them overnight before making this dish. The reason I used cashews is to make the sauce creamy, to add some protein (sneaky), and to add that slight nutty flavour that I am used to, which used to come from pine nuts. I did not add pine nuts as they are hella expensive and I am on a student budget, but this dish would be taken to another level if you added some toasted pine nuts and cherry tomatoes!

Ingredients: (Makes 2-3 servings)

2-3 Garlic cloves

1/2 cup Olive oil

1/2 Onion

Juice of 1 Lemon (optional)

3 cups Basil leaves

2 cups Spinach (optional)

1/2 cup Cashews (soaked or not soaked)*

1/2 cup Nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended for a cheesy flavour)

Toppings:

- Toasted pine nuts

- Cashews

- Cherry tomatoes

*If you want to use soaked Cashews soak them overnight.

Method:

1. Throw all the ingredients into a food processor or a blender, and blend until smooth. 

2. Add the toasted pine nuts/cashews, and cherry tomatoes and stir through cooked pasta.

Estimated nutritional facts (1 serving out of 3): 

Protein: 18,3g Carbohydrates: 20g Fat: 28g