My husband recently made some delicious vegan pesto. Instead of using cheese he substituted in cannellini beans. He calls it "Pesto Gaucho", and here is his recipe: two handfuls of flowering basil leaves, half a can of drained cannellini beans, three tablespoons of olive oil, two dashes of sea salt, four cloves of coarsely chopped garlic and black pepper to taste. Blend on low power to maintain a thicker texture. He did not use nuts, but suggests an oily nut like cashews or pine nuts if you want to add them in.
