Because this sauce relies on pureed squash for its creamy texture, it easily converts to vegan fare. If I have a little parmesan that needs used up, I’ll add it, but otherwise, nutritional yeast is just as tasty. The star here is the fresh basil…. It’s bright and delicious without the excessive oil and cream that weighs down a lot of pesto concoctions.
ingredients
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
5 grams (2-3 Cloves) Fresh Garlic
2 Pounds Summer Squash or Zucchini, chopped or grated
1-2 Teaspoons Table Salt, approximate, to taste
1 Pound Pasta, fresh or dried
4 quarts Water, for cooking pasta (reserve 2 cups after cooking)
1 Tablespoon Table Salt, for cooking pasta
1.5 oz (1/2 cup) Nutritional Yeast or Parmesan Cheese
1 Ounce (2 tablespoons/ about 1/2 lemon) Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Ounces (1/2 Cup) Pine Nuts or Raw Cashews
3 Ounces (4 Cups) Fresh Basil Leaves from about 4 ounces of plants
deviations & tips
Summer squash such as yellow squash, patty pan or zucchini works best.
Top with additional toasted pine nuts, cheese, or nutritional yeast.
Taste great with steamed and salted peas or green beans.
A great way to preserve squash and basil… Just freeze the sauce in muffin tins!
the method
Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute for a couple seconds until fragrant. Add squash or zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture is released and starts to evaporate. The squash should be soft and translucent but not mushy. The mixture will be watery but when you run a spatula through the mixture, the line should hold for a couple seconds. Add mixture to a blender or food processor and set aside.
Place a colander in a larger bowl or pan and place in the sink. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon table salt. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain into colander set over bowl. Remove colander and pasta; set aside. Reserve about 2 cups of that pasta water and discard the rest.
Add about one cup of the reserved pasta water to the squash mixture. If using a blender, be sure to let pasta water cool slightly before blending. Add cheese or nutritional yeast, pine nuts or cashews, and lemon juice. Blend for about a minute or until completely smooth and pureed. Taste and add additional salt, about a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, if needed, to taste. Add basil leaves. Using a low or medium low speed, chop until basil is finely minced.
Add sauce to a large pot (the pot you used to cook the pasta) blend in pasta and gently warm over medium-low. If needed, add a little more pasta water if the sauce gets too thick. If desired, top with additional cheese, nutritional yeast, and/or pine nuts.
Patty Pan Pesto on Angel Hair