Vegan Basil Pesto Sauce

Summertime has three distinct meanings for me. First, it means that I have a three month break from reading dull textbooks, writing dull papers, and sleeping on average less than 5 hours a night. Second, it means scorching heat, painful sunburns, and distressing humidity. Aside from these extreme exaggerations,  summer means fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs. And this year, I'm growing my own basil plant.

Okay, so my basil plant isn't very big yet, and I can't really cook anything of substance with it. But it is growing!!! And I'll buy huge basil bunches from the grocery store so my little plant can aspire to one day become something. Like pesto.

I still remember the first time I tried pesto. I was hooked instantly. My mom had gone out to dinner for work, but when she got home, she woke me up and told me to try some of the pasta she had brought home. It was like nothing I'd ever tasted: peppery and garlicky, but so fresh tasting. It was a lot of familiar flavors presented in a new way. It was just a pesto sauce coating tortellini, but it was delicious.

 And now, I make my own pesto. An even fresher pesto, sans cheese. A lighter pesto too, with less olive oil but still tons of great basil flavor. You could even make this with cilantro or mint, if you prefer. If you're really daring, you could even do a combination of herbs. Basil mint pesto would be an extremely refreshing sauce for a hot summer's day. Also, feel free to play around with the nuts used. I would venture to guess that a mint walnut pesto (without garlic) would make a delicious topping for desserts.

Be strategic when choosing a pasta for your pesto sauce, if that's the route you're taking. I like to choose a pasta that has ample spaces to fill with sauce. Penne, tortellini, and rotini are all great choices in my book. But then again, I have been known to even mix in a spoonful of pesto with a bowl of rice.

Vegan Basil Pesto Sauce (Serves 4)
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, to taste

Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice in a blender of food processor. Begin to pulse, adding in olive oil to help the mixture come together. Continue to process until the sauce comes together. It should be a smooth paste. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to let flavors blend.

Nutrition Estimates (one serving):
Calories: 164 Carbs: 3g Fat: 17g Protein: 3g