Raw Pasta and Pestos

So in keeping with the raw theme that has been happening lately, I thought I'd share how you can make raw pasta. First you need to start off with a raw pesto. Here are a few recipes that I got from Cami to get you started.







Basil and Pine Nut
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to seal
2 cloves garlic
2 T pine nuts, leaves
1 soaked for 6 hrs
4 cups basil leaves
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Cilantro and peanut
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to seal
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup peanuts
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup parsley
1 bird's eye chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Arugula and walnut
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to seal
2 cloves garlic
1 cup walnuts
3 cups chopped arugula (rocket, do not use wild)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Tomato and almond
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to seal
4 cloves garlic
2/3 cup unpeeled almonds, soaked overnight and peeled
1 cup diced ripe tomato
1 cup basil leaves
1 bird's eye chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients of your chosen pesto in a blender and season with salt and pepper (putting oil in first will help the blender do its work). Blend until as smooth or coarse as you prefer, check seasoning and transfer to a ceramic bowl or glass jar and add enough olive oil just to cover the surface. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Use in salads, with vegetables or as a spread.

Each recipe makes about 1-2 cups.

Variation: Other nut and leaf combinations could include cashews, hazelnuts, mint or watercress.

To make the raw pasta, the most popular thing to use is zucchini. After peeling it, we make the "spaghetti" by hand using a julienne slicer but you can also use a spiral slicer. Pour a generous amount of salt into the "zucchitini", mix well, and let sit for a few minutes until zucchini is limp and spaghetti-like. Be sure to rinse all the salt out or you will ruin the dish. I am also told that another alternative is squash. For pics of another raw pasta and another recipe, check out this site. Enjoy!