Pea Pesto

Vegan or non-vegan, it’s seemingly impossible to resist pesto. I remember in my high school years, as soon as the lunch time food schedule would be assigned, all would long for pesto pasta day.

With this in mind I sought the perfect vegan pesto recipe, which holds all the classic flavours without the use of animal products. I wondered how to replace the fundamental parmesan in a cruelty free way. Naturally i began with cheese substitutes, however I felt theses were difficult to use within a sauce, and the melting problems with vegan cheeses can be a problem. The answer to my prayers came in the discovery of nutritional yeast- a strange and unfamiliar ingredient imperative to the vegan diet (If you crave cheese!)
My claim to the fundamentality of nutritional yeast within a plant-based diet rests upon the nutritional benefits of this product- the vitamin and mineral content of this ingredient is undeniable. For example, at only 60 calories per 1/4 cup, nutritional yeast contains 8g of protein, 3g of fibre, vitamins B-1, B-2,B-3, B-6, potassium and calcium. The benefits of such vitamins and minerals includes: boosts improved energy (due to addition of B-12), supporting the immune system by reducing inflammation in addition to promoting healthy skin, nails and hair whilst finally improving glucose sensitivity.

Having vegan-ised the recipe, I then ran into another problem. The addition of large amounts of oil to many recipes creates a high fat content which suggests eating pesto a lot is a bad idea for our overall health. Although using nutritional yeast over parmesan has already reduced the calorie and fat (let alone the cruelty & environmental factor), the addition of extravagant amounts of oil seems to diminish this achievement. Again I took to research to find the answer to my problems.

Finally, I came across the use of peas to create the same classic texture and taste. Again we cannot ignore the health benefits of peas, significantly lower in fat than oil, a good source of protein and fibre whilst providing key nutrients for improved heart health. The addition of peas can also be used as a substitute for the addition of nuts hence this recipe is perfect for nut-free vegans!

Pea Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup Frozen Peas

1 bunch of fresh Basil

2-3 Garlic cloves

Juice of 1 Lemon

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

– Boil Peas in salted water until tender and drain.- Place all ingredients in a blender & blend until smooth!
Yes – it’s really that simple!

Notes:
– For the perfect pesto pasta: Boil pasta in salted water, drain leaving about 1/3 cup of the boiling liquid. Add this liquid to the blended pesto mixture as this will enable the pesto to stick well to the pasta.

– I also add an extra 1/2 cup of peas when boiling and retain them before blending, adding to the final dish to create texture and complement the pea flavour. This sauce works well with tomatoes, Mushrooms and tofu for a satisfying meal!