Walnut Basil Pesto is one of those amazing flavor-boosting condiments that is delicious in practically anything. From the classic pasta dishes to sandwiches and roasted sweet potatoes.
Pesto is arguably the number one reason I grow a ton of basil in the summer. I’ve decided that you can never have enough pesto in your freezer or refrigerator. I make it all summer long and freeze any leftovers so that we can enjoy it all year round.
What you need to make Walnut Basil Pesto:
Equipment:
- food processor
Time:
- 10 minutes
Produce:
- 1 C basil fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic whole
Pantry:
- ¼ C Walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh grounder pepper
- ⅓ C extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ C grated parmesan cheese
Classic pesto is made with pinenuts but since they’re one of the more pricey nuts, I make my pesto with walnuts and I find it just as delicious.
This recipe is for a small batch because I am always trimming off the top of my basil plants so they don’t bolt in the heat. Instead of waiting for a huge harvest at the end of the summer I make lots of small batches throughout July and August. I find that my immersion blender with the mini food processor attachment is the perfect tool for these small batches.
Start by combining the walnuts and garlic in the food processor and pulse until the mix is coarsely chopped. Next, add the basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Process until finely chopped. Add parmesan cheese and process until fully combined.
Store this fresh pesto in an airtight container. The top layer of pesto will oxidize and turn a little brown if exposed to the air. It is not that big of a deal if this happens, just mix it back up and it will taste it perfectly fine. To prevent oxidation you can add a drizzle of olive oil over the top layer to protect the basil leaves from the air. Or, use a small piece of plastic wrap to cover the top of the pesto in the container.
You can also freeze the pesto. You can use an ice cube tray to create pesto cubes and store them in a plastic bag. Or, just use an airtight container that is safe to put in the freezer.
A day before you want to use the pesto, take it out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.
This recipe makes about a cup of pesto which is perfect for one cup of pasta. Once you have pesto at hand in your house you’ll find many ways to utilize it. Here it is a list of my favorites:
- pesto on toast with sliced fresh tomato
- pesto dressing in a grain bowl with chicken and hot sauce
- pesto on pizza (instead of tomato sauce) with roasted vegetables
- grilled vegetable sandwich with pesto
- roasted sweet potato fries drizzled with pesto
Let me know how your pesto comes out in the comments below and share with me any interesting creations you come up with.
More Flavor-Boosters
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Recipe
Walnut Basil Pesto
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- ¼ C Walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic whole
- 1 C basil fresh basil leaves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh grounder pepper
- ⅓ C extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ C grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Walnut Basil Pesto is one of those amazing flavor boosting condiments that is delicious in practically anything. From the classic pasta dishes, to sandwiches and roasted sweet potatoes.
- Combining the walnuts and garlic in the food processor and pulse until the mix is coarsely chopped.
- Add the basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Process until finally chopped.
- Add parmesan cheese and process until fully combined.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!