Pesto with Noodles: can't do rice? No problem.

My diet is primarily raw vegan. I am vegan, and that is why the vast majority of my recipes are as well. There are a few non-vegan recipes because my husband and nephew have food allergies and are not vegan, and I help them cook their meals. I go back and forth on whether or not to include non-vegan recipes, and I'm not sure where I'll end up.

Because I'm raw vegan, I'm used to flavors that are a bit different from cooked food. If cooked properly, garlic can be a bit sweet. Raw, it really packs a punch. They are completely different flavors to me. I'll explain how to prepare Pesto both ways, and then give you a pesto recipe with a twist. I haven't re-tested this recipe yet, so trust your instincts with proportions. I'll update the recipe very soon.

Pasta Pesto (cooked)
1/2 cup rough chopped basil
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch salt
1 large garlic clove
2 TB olive oil

Put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and lightly saute the garlic for less than a minute. You want to be able to smell the garlic, but you do not want it to brown at all. By then it is burned. Put the sauteed garlic and other ingredients in a food processor and let it run until everything is combined.

Raw Pesto
1/2 cup rough chop basil (not packed down)
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 large clove garlic

Because the garlic is not cooked, it has a much stronger flavor, but it goes well with noodles.

I am on a very low carbohydrate raw vegan diet because of some health issues, so instead of rice noodles, I put zucchini and yellow squash through the food processor grater and enjoy them with the pesto. Throw in a few Kalamata olives, and I am one happy camper.


Pesto with a Twist
1/4 cup rough chopped basil
1/4 cup rough chopped cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lemon or 1 lime, juiced
pinch salt
1 clove garlic (optional - taste the mix first)

My favorite Seattle restaurant, Chaco Canyon, serves a delicious cilantro pesto. I've never been able to copy it, but this recipe meets my craving when I don't have time to go out for dinner.