Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Linguine with Vegan Arugula-Pecan Pesto!

If you haven't tried this, it is a must!  It is so freaking easy and quick to make this pesto.  You can literally make it in less than 5 minutes.  Cook the linguine at the same time, and you have a fantastic entree in record time!

I love arugula.  I know that it may not be for everyone because it is distinctly bitter and peppery, making it slightly spicy.  But that is exactly why I love it. 

I love the addition of pecans in this.  If you do not have pecans, try using walnuts instead.  I tend to veer away from the traditional use of pine nuts when making any pesto.  For some reason, pine nuts tastes fishy to me and I cannot stand them.


I like to add in either fresh or oven roasted tomatoes in this dish.  I feel like the acidity of the tomatoes really brightens up the dish.


Linguine with Vegan Arugula-Pecan Pesto

Ingredients: (the pesto makes about 1-1.5 cups)
 linguine
3 c baby arugula
1/2 c toasted pecans
1/4 c evoo
1/4 c fresh basil
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste 
chopped roasted or fresh tomatoes (optional)

Directions:
Boil a pot of salted water and cook linguine accordingly.  In the meantime, combine the remaining ingredients (except for the tomatoes) in a blender and blend until blended.  Season to taste.  
Pour pesto sauce of your linguine, add tomatoes.  That's it!!  Bon Appetite!
 




2 comments:

  1. I make fettuccine from zucchini. You need zucchinis that are about 2 inches in diameter, wash them, top and tail them and remove any rough or damaged areas with a vegetable peeler. Then quarter them lengthwise and remove the seed and pith (NB: the pith can be added to a pasta sauce).

    Then using the peeler again, peal off thin slices so that the skin end is on one edge of the fettuccine, there shouldn't be any waste.

    For a pasta sauce, I get 20-30 cherry tomatoes and plunge them into a saucepan of boiling water for a couple of minutes and drain off most of the water. I then crush them with a potato masher, add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a tblsp each of oregano and black pepper. If you want a stronger tomato flavour, add a sachet of tomato paste.

    Let it cook for half an hour or until the tomato has fully broken down, add a couple of tblsp of fresh basil, then add the zucchini peelings and cook for a further 4-5 minutes and then serve serve. Gluten free as well!

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  2. Regarding pine nuts tasting fishy, you need to use the correct ones (Pinus pinea) which is a pine tree that grows in Europe along the Mediterranean and has been used for thousands of years.

    These days many pine nuts come from China and from unknown sources. One variety Pinus armandii can cause a serious taste disturbance, where everything tastes metallic for days after. See: https://pinenutsyndrome.wordpress.com/pine-nut-species/

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