Creamy Vegan Avocado Pesto Sauce
The avocado and coconut oil makes the sauce creamy and rich while the lemon and garlic give it the tangy taste you would think only comes from cheese. Then there's just a hint of sweet with the basil. It's oh-so-satisfying. I was able to get lemon slices from the dining hall as well as plain cooked pasta to eat with it. While the sauce in itself is paleo, nut free, vegan and gluten free, if you want to make the dish gluten free you can use rice pasta or cooked spaghetti squash/zucchini noodles/etc. to make it paleo.
When I made this I doubled the recipe since I wanted to make enough for a few dinners for my roommate and myself, hence the larger quantities of ingredients in the pictures. I've adjusted the recipe to accommodate people cooking smaller amounts. Also, fun fact: The basil I used came from the mini garden on my dorm room windowsill. If you can, I highly recommend investing in a few herb plants to grow on the windowsill of your room. They make food so much better and also make the room smell amazing and look homey.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5-7 minutes
Total Time: Under 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Photo by Mulin Xiong
Ingredients:
1 avocado
Juice from 3-4 large lemon slices, depending on how lemony you like it
10-12 large fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1-2 cups of cooked pasta of your choice (or spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, etc.)
A tiny pinch of chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Photo by Mulin Xiong
Directions:
1. Cut the avocados and scoop out the insides into a bowl.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
2. Mash the avocado up.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
3. Wash and chop the basil leaves.
4. Combine the basil, lemon juice and mashed avocado.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
5. Peel and finely chop or press the garlic cloves
6. In a medium frying pan heat up the coconut oil on medium heat.
7. Saute the garlic in the coconut oil.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
8. Add the avocado, basil and lemon mix to the frying pan and lower the heat slightly.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
9. Add the salt, pepper and chili powder. Mix evenly. Try it to make sure it's seasoned as you like it.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
10. Serve with pasta of your choice or anything else. The amount in this recipe makes enough for a few cups of cooked pasta. It's pretty filling, so you only need a couple tablespoons of sauce per cup of pasta. You can also use the sauce as a condiment on sandwiches, as a dip, etc.
Photo by Mulin Xiong
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