Perfect Pesto Pasta (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)
I've never really been a pasta person, especially long stringy noodles. My memories consist of mushy, slimy noodles covered in Prego pasta sauce and my brothers dinner show where he'd make the noodle disappear and then pull it back out of his throat. If that wasn't disgusting enough, in his final act he'd fling it at my face hitting me square between the eyes.
When I first eliminated gluten from my diet due to food intolerance, I didn't even seek an alternative. And when I did try GF pasta it was gritty and often left a bad taste in my mouth.
All of my clients are gluten free and one of the most requested meals is something to replace pasta. So the challenge was on and I began on my mission to find a pasta that tasted great, held up nicely, was allergy free and not $5 a box. I tried different brands of quinoa, rice, and corn pasta. Nope. Then I started trying the various lentil, and bean pastas. Some where ok but I still had to try several brands before finding Banza. It is made from chickpea flour, has 25g of plantbased protein and 13g of fiber per a serving. I initially bought it at my local coop but now order it from Thrive Market where it ony costs $2.99 a box! It is slightly nutty, and it perfect fresh, cold, and reheats well without becoming mushy! Success!
I cooked this up for my clients along with a the delicious vegan pesto recipe below and side green salad. They loved it! and so did I, in fact I can honestly say that for the first time in my life I am willingly eating pasta.
So for a nourishing meal that will fix your pasta craving without the blood sugar coma and gluten tummy to follows, this recipe is a win win win! Grain-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and so delicious!
Perfect Pesto Pasta
- 1 each arugula and parsley
- 1/4 cup pine nuts (can sub sunflower, pumpkin or hemp seeds)
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2-3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- optional 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a cheesier flavor
- 1/4 cup water added as needed
Instructions:
- To a blender or food processor add herbs, nuts, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until herbs are chopped.
- Slowly add EVOO and scrape the sides as necessary
- If it is too dry slowly add water one table spoon at a time and mix. Try not to over blend as you still want chunks of nuts and herbs instead of a puree,
- Pour the sauce over your Banza pasta, flatbread or sautéed vegetables and don't be afraid to lick the bowl.
** extras can be stored in a sealed container for about a week
Also if you use my link below you can save 20% off your first free orders with thrive market. Meaning you could buy Banza pasta for a mere $2.50 (STEAL) they also offer some amazing quality olive oil. All there products are non-gmo, and free of artificial additives.
