The beauty of pesto is that it is a raw sauce that tastes like a cooked sauce. You get all of the potent nutrients from the greens. Nothing is cooked out!

This is a very “freefrom” recipe for a pesto made from your choice of your favorite greens. I normally use a combination of greens that I have on hand with some fresh basil since it really helps to round out the flavor and help people identify it as traditional pesto. My favorite combination of greens to use here is arugula, basil and Lucitano kale. Softer greens like spinach and arugula are best for pesto. Lucitano kale is more delicate than many of the other Kale varieties which makes it more palatable eaten raw, shredded in salads or in a pesto like this one.

You need a decent blender or food processor to make this pesto. Some blenders won’t “blend” unless there is enough liquid in the mix. Try adding a bit more olive oil if the blender gets stuck.

Ingredients for Pesto

• Combination of greens cleaned and chopped
• pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts or any combination of them (about 1/2 cup chopped nuts)
• 1/2 cup olive oil (or just enough to get a nice, smooth consistency)
• a few cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1-2 tsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Pesto

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend on a course setting, like a grate. You don’t want a puree, just a fine paste will do. Be sure to taste before serving! Salt and pepper well, especially if it is to stand alone for your pasta dish.  Then fold into a cooked and drained pasta and serve immediately.