Presto, Pesto!

Here are two recipes for pesto (one vegan and one with Parmesan cheese). The first vegan one was submitted by a friend of mine, Betty Jacobs. Holly, another friend of ours, shared it with her on Facebook.

I understand Holly developed the recipe herself, so I know it would be yummy and nutritious. She said you might want to adjust the consistency and seasonings to taste.

I liked Susan's suggestion of putting hers in ice cube trays and enjoying it on your hot pasta that way, one cube at a time--Susan's pesto only took a little for quite a bit of pasta!

Pesto (vegan, gluten-free)    ~by Holly Hill Jackson

3/4 cup raw almonds (blanched would be best)
1/4 cup pistachios
1 cup fresh basil
1+ cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup navy beans

2-3 Tbl. non-dairy milk
3 ladles of hot pasta cooking water (use gluten-free pasta, if desired)
Garlic salt to taste

2 T. olive oil

Blend or process til smooth and creamy.

(It would have been smoother if I had used blanched, or soaked almonds, but it still had a good texture.)

And here's another pesto recipe a friend shared with me years ago:

Pesto ~by Susan Zacharias-Jutz (Iowa City, IA)

4 c. fresh basil leaves

3-4 cloves garlic, or less

1/2 c. olive oil, or a little less

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, as needed

Chop in blender until smooth. Use on pasta or as a cracker spread.

Tip: Freeze excess in ice cube trays and package in Ziploc freezer bags.

(Can put chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned, on pasta with pesto.)