Gluten Free Dairy Free Pesto with Cheese Flavor

Ingredients:

• 5 - 6 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 squeeze of lemon juice (for the preservation of color) (optional)
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds (blanched or regular) (or pine nuts)
• 1/4 cup peeled frozen garlic, thawed (Costco)
• 3 tablespoons cashew butter
• 3 tablespoons gluten free nutritional yeast (Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Add the basil leaves to your food processor along with lemon juice, if using. (I was able to add all of the basil to my small food processor.) Puree until you have enough room to add the remaining ingredients.
2. Add the almonds, garlic, cashew butter, nutritional yeast, and a little salt. Puree continuously while slowly drizzling in the oil.
3. Add to cooked pasta with a good splash of pasta water. It thins down the sauce and helps adhere it to the pasta more than it would otherwise. Other uses include mixed with rice, served on a cheese board with baguettes (toasted or not), and mixed with additional oil for a salad dressing. It's perfect as a substitute for traditional Caesar salad dressing.
4. Store leftovers in the freezer for future use or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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