Source: Renee Tougas, adapted from McDougall’s recipe archive

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Servings: makes about 1/2 cup

I have an awesome lower fat pesto sauce. I got it from the McDougall newsletter and adapted it. I think the original was created by Jill Nussinow who teaches together with McDougall’s during their live in sessions and on their latest DVDs.

I love the taste of this and I have searched high and low for a good pesto since going oil free. We make this in the summer with the abundance of basil we get from our CSA share at a local organic farm.

You’ll notice it isn’t fat free, I’m not claiming it is. I doesn’t have any added oil, uses a moderate about of nuts instead.

• 3 cups coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp light miso (to taste)
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup water

Place everything except the water in a food processor. Pulse until finely minced. With machine running, slowly add water until desired consistency is reached.

Makes enough sauce for one cooked 16 oz. package of whole wheat pasta.

Notes
• If you don’t have all the basil you can substitute 1 cup flat leaf parsley for 1 cup of the basil.
• 1/4 cup of crumbled shredded wheat squares (the cereal) works great as the dry bread crumbs.
• Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a couple days but will turn brown. Best if eaten fresh.

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