I had planned to share an entirely different recipe with you today, but… disaster struck. Some days I get it right on the first try, and other days it takes a few attempts to get it just right. I’ve been playing around with a cauliflower fritter and thought I had it dialed in, but they just wouldn’t hold together. So I need to spend another day or so to perfect it, I want to share recipes confident of the results. I know that my Instagram feed makes it seem like everything is perfect in my kitchen but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I have more failures than successes, especially when I am trying to create dairy-free or vegan versions of our favorite dishes.
Instead, I bring you our favorite vegan artichoke pesto. Of all the pestos, sauces, dips and spreads I make, this is my son’s favorite, hands down. I find that traditional pesto without the cheese is just a bit lacking, but this version is loaded with flavor thanks to the addition of artichokes and Castelvetrano olives. You’ll never miss the cheese! It’s great with pasta, but we also like to use it as a spread on sandwiches or as a dip with pita chips.
If you make this recipe tag #scalingback on Instagram – I love seeing what you create in your kitchen! You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat (username: jeffers.tina)
- 1 12-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ cup Caselvetrano olives, pitted
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the artichoke hearts, garlic, olives, almonds, parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor and process, scraping the sides until you get a nice uniform and smooth mixture. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as needed.
- NOTES: If you would like a looser texture, add up to another ⅓ cup of olive oil.
This was excellent! It went fast in my house. I just bought more artichokes today to make more!