Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 2/3 cups nutritional yeast
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 fresh lemon
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons flax oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1. Juice the lemon. Add all ingredients except flax and olive oils to a food processor.
2. Combine the oils and pour oil into the food processor through the top to evenly emulsify while blending the ingredients. Stir ingredients from the bottom of the blender as needed.
3. Store pesto in a jar or covered container until ready to use as a marinade, salad dressing or pasta sauce. Keeps up to one week in the refrigerator.

Helpful hints

• An additional 2 tablespoons of flax oil may be substituted for the olive oil.
• Flax oil provides health benefits including supplying ALA omega-3 fatty acids.
• Basil Pesto has great versatility- use as a marinade on seafood or chicken, as a dipping sauce for fresh or roasted vegetables, a salad dressing or toss with pasta or rice as a lower potassium alternative to tomato sauce.