basil walnut + roasted tomato pesto

The color of this pesto, due to the roasted tomatoes, is not the most appetizing (therefore I took the photo down I previously had up). But it tastes amazing. There are two steps involved in the process, as you will need to roast the tomatoes first and then blend them into the pesto. The fastest, most effiicient way to prepare this is to start roasting the tomatoes, prepare the rest of the pesto ingredients and get it all blended and then blend the tomatoes in when they are done roasting. Try this on pizza, pasta (with a pat of non-dairy butter or a touch of olive oil) or served on crostini or grilled tofu.

Basil Walnut + Roasted Tomato Pesto:

2 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 cups (20g) loosely-packed basil leaves
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1 lb. oven-roasted grape tomatoes (see directions.)

Begin roasting the tomatoes.

Blend remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add additional olive oil or water, if needed, to thin pesto as desired. Add roasted tomatoes. Serve as desired.

Yield: About 1 cup