Pumpkin Seed and Arugula Pesto

If you love pesto served over pasta, as a dip and a spread, but don’t care for the heavy dose of parmesan cheese found in traditional recipes, THIS recipe will be a dream come true. To achieve the cheesy essence without the use of dairy, nutritional yeast cleverly takes the place of parmesan. Pumpkin seeds stand in for pine nuts to give this recipe more texture, a nice dose of zinc, and also make it more pocket-book-friendly. Arugula leaves add a nice peppery kick and a solid dose of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and chlorophyll. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 cup basil leaves, packed
• 1 cup arugula leaves, packed
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 medium peeled garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. In a Vitamix or other high-speed blender, combine lemon juice, sea salt, basil, arugula, parsley, garlic and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth. Slowly add olive oil and blend until combined.
2. Add pumpkin seeds and blend until smooth with a bit of texture. Use to toss with pasta and veggie noodles, or use as a dip.