Basil Walnut Pesto

Pesto is one of my family's favorites. We eat it on pasta, in sandwiches, with raw vegetables... Prior to adopting a vegan diet for myself, I would make a traditional pine nuts and cheese based pesto once a week. Needless to say, I'm six weeks into this vegan lifestyle and pesto is one thing we have dearly missed. I was hesitant to try a recipe without cheese because the original is so good that I didn't think anything could even remotely compare. Boy, was I was wrong. This Basil Walnut Pesto is incredible. Walnuts are one of the healthiest nuts so replacing them for the pine nuts is a good move and nutritional yeast gives the pesto a cheesy flavor. You won't even miss the cheese! It's delicious and even better than what I was making before. I can't wait for dinner!

Basil Walnut Pesto

1 large bunch of basil, about 3 cups loosely packed
3 large garlic cloves
6 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1/4c nutritional yeast
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (amount varies depending on desired consistency)
salt to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor (start with half of the olive oil) and process until finely ground. Continue to process while adding the remainder EVOO until the desired consistency is reached. Salt to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days. If refrigerating, cover the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil.