Vegan Dinner: St. Patrick's Day Pesto

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Well actually the holiday is a week away but I'm celebrating early. I'll be uploading "Green" vegan recipes all week long in honor of St. Patrick. The first is my St. Patrick's Day Pesto which is inspired from vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli, although I have changed a few things and made it my own. See my Today Show Post for the original recipe. The "secret ingredient" in this recipe is Avocado which is where the creaminess comes from. Best of all it's dairy free!

Printer Friendly Recipe Here

Ingredients:

-1/3 cup of sunflower seeds

-6 cloves of garlic

-3 tbsp of lemon juice

-1 handful of fresh basil (or 1 cup of chopped basil)

-1 handful of fresh baby spinach

-1 cup of olive oil (add more if needed)

-2 avocados, peeled and pitted

-salt and pepper as needed

-Spaghetti (or any pasta of your choice)

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot of water, add a teaspoon of salt and once it starts boiling, add spaghetti (this recipe matches perfectly with 8 oz. of pasta)

2. Cook spaghetti about 8 minutes or until al dente, then set aside for later

3. Add seeds, garlic, basil, spinach, oil, and avocados to a food processor and pulse until well blended and creamy

(If you don't have a food processor yet I recommend the KitchenAid KFP715WH 7-Cup Food Processor)

4. Add to pasta, coat evenly and you're done!

Enjoy!

-Joanna