Vegan Pesto
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 20, 2022
Yield
Makes ¾ cup (enough for 1 pound pasta)
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If serving this with pasta, be sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking water to thin out the pesto and add creaminess as needed once it's been mixed with the pasta. Two cups of fresh basil leaves weigh about 2 ounces. Basil usually darkens in pesto, but you can boost the green color by adding the optional parsley. If you don't have Vegan Parmesan Substitute on hand, you can substitute a mixture of 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. This recipe can easily be doubled.
Instructions
- Toast garlic in 8-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and skins are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove garlic from saucepan and let cool, about 5 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel garlic and mince. Place basil and parsley, if using, in heavy-duty quart-size zipper-lock bag; pound with flat side of meat pounder or a rolling pin until all leaves are bruised.
- Process bruised herbs, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt, and toasted and minced garlic in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute. With processor running, slowly add oil until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Transfer pesto to bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To prevent browning, press plastic wrap flush to surface, or top with thin layer of olive oil.)
Yield
Makes ¾ cup (enough for 1 pound pasta)Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Our goal in creating a dairy-free green pesto was to heighten the fresh basil flavor and subdue the harshness of the garlic so these two elements would be balanced. We started by toasting whole garlic cloves in their skins to develop their sweetness. Then we bruised the basil in a plastic bag with a meat pounder (you could also use a rolling pin) to bring out its aromatic oils. Toasted pine nuts and olive oil contribute lots of buttery richness. In place of dairy Parmesan (which you can use if you prefer), we added a smaller quantity of our umami-rich Vegan Parmesan Substitute.
Before You Begin
If serving this with pasta, be sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking water to thin out the pesto and add creaminess as needed once it's been mixed with the pasta. Two cups of fresh basil leaves weigh about 2 ounces. Basil usually darkens in pesto, but you can boost the green color by adding the optional parsley. If you don't have Vegan Parmesan Substitute on hand, you can substitute a mixture of 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. This recipe can easily be doubled.
Instructions
- Toast garlic in 8-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and skins are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove garlic from saucepan and let cool, about 5 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel garlic and mince. Place basil and parsley, if using, in heavy-duty quart-size zipper-lock bag; pound with flat side of meat pounder or a rolling pin until all leaves are bruised.
- Process bruised herbs, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt, and toasted and minced garlic in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute. With processor running, slowly add oil until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Transfer pesto to bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To prevent browning, press plastic wrap flush to surface, or top with thin layer of olive oil.)
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