Flippantly Vague Musings of a Quirky Vegan

Lemon Artichoke Pesto with Bowtie Pasta and toasted Pinenuts

Today I decided I wanted artichokes. I didn't know what dish to make, but all I knew was that I wanted artichokes. So I perused the vast internet of knowledge looking for a good artichoke recipe, and I came upon a few artichoke pesto meals. Okay, that got me interested. I tweaked a few of the recipes I found, and made this dish: Lemon Artichoke Pesto with Bowtie Pasta and toasted Pinenuts. Yum. After I took the picture of my pesto, I added about a handful more of the pinenuts to the bowl, and I am glad I did. I love toasted pinenuts, and they add a fantastic crunch and flavor. Maybe next time I will blend up half of the them with the pesto, and reserve the rest to add to the top.
I didn't bother trying this dish on my kids, as they were giving me the evil eye as I was making it. Anything green on top of pasta is a sin, according to them. I blended up a cup of garden vegetable pasta sauce to add to their bowtie pasta (which they call their little butterflies!). I like to blend their sauces a bit to get rid of any chunkage that might deter them from actually eating it. And plus, I can hide a bunch of different veggies that they would normally scurry away from in the sauce and they are none the wiser....for now.
My husband, John, who we will refer to as the OMNI, said this pesto looked and smelled really good, but has not tried it yet. He had to run to Home Depot for a rake. Whatever.

Lemon Artichoke Pesto w/ Toasted Pinenuts

1 cup canned artichoke hearts, quartered
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (or more as desired)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
pinenuts, toasted

Blend first seven ingredients, adding olive oil for desired consistency. Top with toasted pinenuts. Devour.

I ate this with a side of steamed baby carrots and a big bowl of kiwi, apple and grapes and a glass of lime-ade. I am satiated now that I have eaten my artichokes, and am pleased with the outcome of this recipe.

Brooke-o-meter, on a scale of one to 10 peas:
8 peas, with room for improvement