Lemon Basil Sauce

It's not a pesto, but it's close, and it's just as good, if not better. This sauce fits perfectly with pastas, salads, and sandwiches. Creamy and delicious, you'll be sure to lick the plate!

What you'll need:

• 2 cups packed basil

• 2 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts

• 2 tablespoons shelled walnuts

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon table salt

• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons water

Steps:

1. Place basil, pine nuts, walnuts, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor or a blender on high speed until ingredients combined. Stop and scrape sides as needed to insure ingredients are appropriately combined.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of water and continue to blend. Scrape sides and blend again until the mixture is creamy. Add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency. The pasta will absorb the sauce so toss pasta in olive oil first.

3. Take a spoon and taste your sauce. Add more salt if you see fit. Enjoy!

Overview:

Delicious and very easy to make, this sauce takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and can be used on a variety of dishes. The nutritional yeast gives it that cheesy flavor, and like pesto, it definitely takes on the nutty notes. You can also try this recipe by substituting the nutritional yeast for white miso paste. I enjoy it on my gluten-free Barilla spaghetti noodles, and it's a game-changer on my chickpea quinoa salad bowl. Whatever you decide to use it on, you won't regret it.