Who doesn’t love pesto? The first time I ever had pesto it was tossed with a bunch of fettuccine and sun-dried tomatoes and I loved it so much, I literally had the exact same thing for lunch for a solid week. Yes, it was that good. But, as Parmesan is one of the main components in a pesto, alas, what’s a girl to do when she’s following a “mostly” plant-based diet? Yes, I/we could place the Parmesan on the other-side-of-the-mostly-plant-based list, but in reality avoiding dairy is something we’re committed to. So, alas enter nutritional yeast. No, it has nothing to with the kind used for baking (or any other kind) but it adds a marvelous texture and complexity to dishes that traditionally call for cheese. So there you go. And here you go … a super delicious pesto recipe without dairy.

Pesto (dairy-free, vegan, raw)

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

• 2 cups fresh basil, leaves only
• ½ cup pine nuts (although some people prefer walnuts)
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• ½ to ⅓ cup EVOO
• 3 TBS nutritional yeast
• Fresh lemon juice, about ½ medium-sized lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until they combine well, but don’t over process. You want the end product to be a little chunky. Add more olive oil if you need to, depending on what your needs are. If I’m using it for any kind of pasta dish, I typically add more pesto. For topping veggies, I use less. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Our recipes are just that, ours. Some are modified versions of dishes we’ve had elsewhere or old-favorites that contained animal proteins, while others are a concentrated effort of trial and error. But all are intended to be altered by you and made to suit your tastes. So if you want more garlic or none at all, go for it. You do you ; )