A Pesto Party with Parsley and Almonds 

Traditional pesto is with basil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. We took the liberty to play around and created these vegan pesto variations. If you would rather not call them “pesto”, you can call them delicious sauces or spreads. Try them out and feel free to keep exploring on your own. Remember, it is always great to learn from tradition but never be afraid to step out of it.

Parsley and almond vegan pesto tastes amazing with pasta. We love to have it with brown rice pasta but I would recommend trying it with any of your favorite types of pasta. It is so good that sometimes we just put it on a slice of bread and enjoy. Maybe make it into a sandwich and add some lettuce, tomato or anything else you enjoy (A roasted portobello mushroom?)

Other variations include using walnuts instead of almonds, adding a half a cup of nutritional yeast (gives it a slightly thicker consistency and a great option for those intolerant of cheese) or Parmesan cheese. Or use basil instead of parsley. Whatever you decide, feel free to experiment as much as you like and have fun!

Yield: 4 portions / Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup almonds
  • Sea salt to taste

Procedure

1. 1. Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse until finally minced.
   2. Add the parsley and pulse until finely chopped.
   3. Add the almonds and run the food processor while slowly adding the olive oil.
   4. Add salt to taste. Start with one teaspoon and pulse a couple times. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Enjoy your cooking journey and taste the bliss!