Linguine with Walnut Sage Pesto

If you are one of those people who loves creamy pastas and didn't know how you could ever go totally vegan....well here is your solution! This stuff is like creamy, cheesy crack....without all the animal product heavy body lug afterwards. Try it out and see what Im talking about.

2/3 cups walnuts

a little more than 1/2 package of whole wheat linguine

1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley

1 packed TBSP fresh chopped sage leaves

1 very large garlic clove or a few smaller ones (not too many since it will be raw in your dish)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus additional to taste

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

4 TBSP rice parmesan cheese**

*if you have never seen this, try the veg refrigerated section at a Whole Foods equivalent. It is in a similar canister to regular parm cheese, but it is in a blue or purple can and it says Rice Topping

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and toast the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Watch this closely - about 8 minutes. There is a delicate sweet spot between perfectly toasted and burnt. Take off the sheet and allow to cool.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. At the point of boiling, add a liberal pinch of salt to the water. Cook the linguine to al dente (about a minute before being fully cooked where there is still a bite to it). Drain, but RESERVE a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Combine the parsley, sage, garlic, salt, black pepper, and walnuts in a blender until finely chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil and blend well. Add 3 TBSP of the "cheese", pulse quickly to combine.

Transfer the pesto to a bowl and add the pasta water, stirring to create a creamy texture to the blender mix. Add the drained pasta to the creamy style pesto. Top with the remaining cheese if you choose and add additional pepper to taste. Enjoy!