If you live in the Midwest (ok, pretty much most of the US right now) then you understand the frigid arctic weather we’ve been having lately! There have been sequences of days that we have pretty much just stayed in the house because it was too dangerous to travel, either due to intense cold or blizzard conditions.
Mary and I took the opportunity to cook up some gluten-free, dairy-free deliciousness while we waited for the snow to melt… though that could still be a while…
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Broccoli Pea Pesto
Most pesto recipes call for large quantities of basil and pine nuts–which, at this time of year end up being expensive and hard to find. Peas give the pesto a sweet flavor, while the broccoli lends its earthy flavors to make this a recipe something you will love making over and over again. Almonds make a great substitute for pine nuts–but if you really can’t imagine a pesto without the intense flavor of pine nuts, by all means, experiment away!
1/3 cup whole almonds
1 cup steamed peas
1 cup steamed broccoli florets
1-2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp basil, dried or chopped fresh leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Cooked rice pasta
1. Grind almonds in a food processor until almost almond meal. We froze our almonds, which made them hard and good for chopping in the food processor without turning into almond butter.
2. Add peas and broccoli. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add garlic, salt, basil, and olive oil. Pulse until mixture is thoroughly combined, but not a fine paste. The trick is to preserve the different textures without making the pesto too chunky or too fine.
3. Spoon pesto over cooked noddles until they are thoroughly coated. If mixture seems dry, add another drop of olive oil. TIP: To keep the pasta from sticking to each other before adding the pesto, try 1 tbsp of coconut oil melted over the noddles while they are still hot.
4. Serve and enjoy warm!
