What do you do with around a cup of raw almonds that you do NOT want to consume plain? Well, you have many options: almond milk, almond butter, chocolate covered almonds, a date-nut pie crust, chop up into desserts, and use as a topping for oatmeal or smoothie bowls. I wanted to utilize an entirely new recipe that I have never made in my life and a dish that I rarely ever consume. One word: pesto.
Pesto is conventionally created with pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil, but instead, I decided to use kale, nutritional yeast, and raw almonds. Even though I was hesitant on trying this new recipe out, I am SO delighted that I did. Yes, it took such a long time to blend completely, but the result was so satisfying and the taste in the pasta was even more marvelous. I can now gladly say that I am in love with pesto. You will fall in love with this recipe too, guaranteed!
Three words to summarize this recipe: healthy, colorful, and satisfying. This pesto is high in protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, iron, polyunsaturated fat, and fiber! Not to mention, the pesto screams bright green thickness that you can consume by the spoon. Don’t advise that though–eat it with pasta, spread on a sandwich or toast, toss in a salad, or use as a dip for vegetables and crackers!
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Processed with VSCO with f2 preset
RECIPE (serves 4)
- 1 head of kale
- 3/4 cup of raw almonds
- 4 garlic cloves, can be roasted
- 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
- 5 grams of organic sage
- 3/4 cup olive oil or vegetable broth
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 8 ounces of dry pasta (optional)
PROCEDURE
- In a strong food processor, blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Periodically stop the food processor to scrape down the interior to move the mixture closer to the blades. Whip up to desired thickness.
- Cook the pasta according to directions. Completely drain out the water.
- Integrate the pesto into the cooked pasta.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
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Processed with VSCO with f2 preset
How do you enjoy pesto? What would you do with a bunch of leftover raw almonds?
Yum Yum!!
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Thank you darling!
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I love your spin on pesto! It’s so different than regular pesto, but it sounds so good! I like that you used sage instead of basil. I bet it would be AMAZING on tomato & avocado toast.
Definitely going to try it when the kale from my garden is ready. Regular almonds (not raw) should work too, right?
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Thanks so much! I had spare raw almonds to use, so I figured to use them creatively. Definitely would be fantastic on tomato and avocado toast! Oh yes, and regular almonds should work–they will add more of a toasted, smoky quality to the pesto!
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