Gluten Free & Vegan Pumpkin Seed Pesto, Presto! Pasta

Presto!  Pumpkin seed pesto can turn any boring pasta into "magic," crowd-pleasing pasta that makes you feel as if you've just eaten out.  It also incorporates pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil.  Pumpkin seeds are very high in zinc, an immune-boosting, cancer preventative nutrient.  Pumpkin seed oil fights candida and provides valuable Omega 3 fatty acids. 

This pesto happens to be raw:  Please see my note at the bottom of the page if you wish to make a fully-raw and vegan pasta dish...

Pumpkin Seed Pesto: 

1/2 c. Pumpkin Seed Oil
1 1/2 c. Basil
1/3 c. Nutritional Yeast
1 c. Pumpkin Seeds
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper or Crushed Red Pepper
3 Cloves Garlic

Directions:  Pulse in a food processor until the mixture turns into a paste. 

Pasta:
Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta

Directions:  Prepare according to the instructions on the box.  Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat.   (This prevents the pasta from "sticking.")

Vegetables: 
Coconut Oil 
Zucchini, diced
Tomatoes, diced
White Onions, diced
Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

Directions:  Melt coconut oil in a large saute pan.  Saute the vegetables together, until soft.  

To Finish the Dish- 
1.  Incorporate the pesto into the cooked bowl of pasta.  Adjust the amount of pesto you add to your taste.
2.  Add the cooked vegetables to the pasta, lightly tossing.


* Raw Variation:  Substitute Kelp Noodles for quinoa noodles.  Make the pesto according to the above instructions (no change).  Simply toss the diced vegetables in without cooking them first, omitting the coconut oil.  Massage the noodles and diced vegetables with the pesto to incorporate the flavors well.  Leave in a warm dehydrator for a few hours to soften and warm the dish if you wish.