vegan artichoke pesto

14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
about 1 c. loose basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

process artichokes, nuts, yeast and garlic until a paste is formed. add in lemon juice, then slowly add in olive oil w/ motor running. finally, add basil leaves and pulse until leaves are broken into smallish pieces. add salt and pepper to taste. serve w/ pasta, or on lightly toasted baguette slices for a quick hors d'oeuvres idea.

serving suggestion: goes very well w/ tofurkey's italian sausage. i sauteed the sausages in a bit of olive oil to make them warm and crispy and then mixed them into a batch of whole wheat penne, along with the pesto.