Growing up one of my favorite dishes my mom made regularly was angel hair pasta with pesto. I used to pour parmesan cheese onto almost every bite and I’ve realized, looking back, that all of my favorite childhood meals involved so much cheese. I have always been obsessed with everything pesto, so I was excited to try a vegan pesto with no cheese and I can promise you this – I’m never buying store-bought pesto again. In fact, my husband says this is better than store bought.
SMASHED POTATOES // Boil potatoes until softened where you can pierce them. Drain. Place potatoes on parchment paper and smash them on top with a pan or cup. Drizzle EVOO on top of the potatoes. Bake at 450 until browned (20 – 30 mins). Top with pesto on each smashed potato.
PESTO RECIPE //
1/2C walnuts, pieces
 2 – 3 handfuls of spinach
1 handful of fresh basil
1/4C – 1/2 C EVOO
2.5 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp of nutritional yeast
salt & pepper to taste
water to thin out if you want to use over pasta*
This pesto works with anything: sandwiches, on pizza, over veggies, mixed with pasta. Make it your own and be sure to tag me when you do @hautehealthy #plantbasednotperfect