Toasted Almond Pesto

Pesto is by far one of the easiest and versatile sauces to make.  It pairs well with any pasta or your choice, and tastes great over just about anything (gnocchi, tofu, chicken, fish … you get the point).  I’ve even used it as a dipping sauce for crusty bread.  This variation uses toasted almonds instead of pine nuts, so you get the sweetness from the almonds, plus all their wonderful health benefits too.  Really one of the best meals I’ve made.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 package of pasta (I used rigatoni)

1/2 cup of skinless almonds, slivered

1/2 cup of freshly grated parmasean cheese

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic gloves

1-2 cups of fresh basil

salt and pepper

 

DIRECTIONS:

1) boil pasta as per package instructions.

2) heat a fry pan to extra hot, and toast almonds for about a min – do not burn!

3) transfer toasted almonds into a food processor and pulse.

3) add olive oil, basil and garlic to food processor and blend until smooth.

4) place mixture into a large bowl and combine with parmessean, and salt and pepper to taste.

5) add sauce to pasta and serve hot or cold!  Garnish with a few basil leaves and a bit of parmessean.