Linguine With Almond Pesto and Beans

Ingredients:
Almonds, 1/3 cup, roasted unsalted
Garlic, 1 clove
Parsley, 1.5 cup, fresh
Basil, 1.5 cup, fresh
Parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative), 1/4 cup
Olive oil, 1/4 cup
Tofu Ricotta (recipe below), 1/3 cup
Kalamata olives, 1/2 cup, chopped and pitted
Linguine, 12 ounces, preferably whole wheat
Cannellini beans, 1 can, drained and rinsed
Cherry tomatoes, ~1 cup, cut in half

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Meanwhile, make the pesto: Pulse the almonds and garlic in a blender/food processor until finely chopped.  Add the parsley, basil and parmesan and pulse until the herbs are chopped, scraping down the side of the processor as needed.  With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until combined.  Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the tofu ricotta and olives.

Add the linguine to the boiling water and cook as the package directs, adding the beans to the pot in the last 2 minutes of cooking.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and beans.  Transfer to the bowl with the pesto and toss to coat.  Add the tomatoes and toss to combine, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen.

Tofu Ricotta Recipe:
Ingredients:
Tofu, firm/extra firm, 1 package
Spinach, 8 oz, chopped
Tofutti Soy Sour Cream, 1/2 cup
Lemon juice, 1/8 cup
Cane juice crystals (or other sugar/sweetener), 1/8 cup
~1/2-3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Drain excess water from tofu.  Mash tofu in a large bowl with potato masher or your hands.  Add remaining ingredients to tofu, mix well.  Add additional salt or sweetener if needed.


Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/linguine-with-almond-pesto-and-beans-recipe/index.html
and
Give Them Something Better by Sarah Frain and Stephanie Howard