We're all about this pasta dish right now. I hope our friends don't read this. Next time we invite you to dinner, this is probably what we're making. At least you'll know what type of wine to bring!
I love this so much, because it's simple and super impressive. It takes very little time to make. Serve with olive oil-drizzled crostini and you have a meal to impress anyone. Fresh basil, garlic and toasted walnuts make your kitchen smell so good.
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb Pasta
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 bunches fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
- salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Cook pasta: Boil pasta water. Once boiling, salt the water. Add pasta. Cook until al dente. Don't rinse the pasta after. The starches on the pasta will help the pesto adhere to the pasta.
- Toast the walnuts: Set oven to 350. Spread walnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350. Set a timer, because it's easy to forget about these toasty ones in the oven.
- In a food processor or blender, whizz together the olive oil and garlic cloves.
- Stop the processor, add in 2 bunches of fresh washed basil and process until you have tiny flecks of basil.
- Add in toasted walnuts and pulse away! The walnuts will give the pesto-to-be great texture. Avoid leaving any large clumps of walnut, as the ingredients should come together.
- Add in the nutritional yeast and continue pulsing the food processor a few times. You can find nutritional yeast (or as we call it, nooch) in the bulk section of any health food store. It's an inactive yeast, complete protein and fortified with vitamin B12. It smells like cheese and is a great substitute for things like parmesan. The nutritional yeast gives the pesto a creamy cheesy flavor and mellows out the garlic.
- Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.
- With tongs, mix the pesto into the pasta.
- Serve with crostini! (Crostini How To: Slice baguette and spread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.)





































































