Sunday, November 29, 2015

Walnut Tomato Pesto with Whole Wheat Spaghetti










Rachael Ray was right.  A nutty pesto fits well with the strong taste of the whole wheat pasta.  I saw her prepare a similar pesto made of pine nut and basil with of course her signature EVOO or extra virgin olive oil and parmesan cheese in her show Week in a Day.  I decided to prepare a plant based version using vegetables and nut  that I already have, namely, tomato, pepper and walnuts.  I skipped the EVOO of course in keeping with the plant based approach and the parmesan cheese.  To give that salty taste from the parmesan, I resorted to using miso paste.  Extra garlic and the green onion also helped to increase the taste volume of the pesto.  Overall, it is a refreshing flavorful pesto that pairs up with the whole wheat spaghetti.



Walnut Tomato Pesto with Whole Wheat Spaghetti

  • 1 package ( 14-16 oz) whole wheat spaghetti      
  • 1 large tomato
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 4 stalks green onions
  • 1 whole red or yellow peppers
  • 1 tbsp dry sweet basil
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp miso paste
  • salt and pepper to taste
Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. 

Cut the vegetables into sizes suitable for your blender.   Place all the ingredients in the blender and pulse till the ingredients are thoroughly mixed but not too mushy.  I prefer mine to have some texture.  Pour the walnut tomato pesto over the cooked and drained spaghetti.  

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