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Pesto Cremoso – Super Creamy Pesto

Miriam Sorrell
  • Serves: 2-3
  • Preparation: 15
  • Cooking: 10
  • Ready: 25

All the cream, cheesy taste and flavours of a traditional pesto pasta but without any meat or dairy – totally cholesterol free and delicious!

Ingredients

For the pesto

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup raw almonds (with skins)
  • 2 tablespoon golden flaxseeds
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • sea salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • flat parsley leaves, chopped, for garnishing

For the cream

  • 1 cup raw whole cashews
  • 1 1/8th cups (280 ml) water

Method

To prepare the cream, process the cashews and water until they resemble fresh cream.

Tp prepare the pesto sauce, place the basil and garlic in a food processor, and process until well broken down.  Then add the nuts, and process again until all is very small.  Add the remaining ingredients and process until you are left with a thick paste.

Next, cook your pasta. Whilst it’s cooking, heat up your pesto in a large saucepan, and slowly stir in your cream, keeping the heat low – mix all the time whilst you do this. You should be left with a semi-thick creamy sauce –  taste it for salt, then if it’s too thick, add a tiny bit of water. Cover it, and turn off the heat.

Once your pasta is cooked al dente, place it on top of your sauce, re-heat the lot, and serve hot garnished with the chopped parsley.

Additonal notes

Recipe and content Miriam Sorrell mouthwateringvegan.com 2014

“This is the most delicious and child-friendly pesto ever, rich with a creamy subtle taste of the herbs, garlic and cream – you will fall in love with this. If you love cream, pasta and pesto, then here is the perfect dish for you, and fast to make too.  Feel free to add some chopped sundried tomatoes, or even black olives for a stunning-looking result.  This dish is also great served to non-vegan guests, with my griddle pan fried eggplant steaklet (also very easy to make), and a crunchy salad.  My 7 year old daughter asked for seconds, and that’s a great gauge since, believe it or not, she is a very picky eater.  Enjoy, and let me know how it goes!”

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