Basil walnut pesto is a delicious sauce that you will want to dollop on everything. It may be a little less traditional than this basil pesto, but it’s equally delicious. Loaded with aromatic fresh basil, delicious walnuts, and brightened up with lemon juice and zest.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make basil walnut pesto:
- basil – you may substitute with parsley or arugula
- parmesan cheese – use original Italian Parmigiano Reggiano for the best flavor
- fresh garlic
- olive oil
- walnuts – you can substitute pine nuts, almonds, pecans, or pistachios
- lemon zest and juice – freshly squeezed!
How to make basil walnut pesto step by step
STEP 1: Add walnuts, parmesan, lemon zest, and garlic into a food processor.
STEP 2: Pulse until finely chopped.
STEP 3: Add basil leaves and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
STEP 4: With the food processor running at low speed, add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream until the oil is incorporated.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you’d like your pesto sauce thinner, just add more olive oil.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- For a more pronounced nutty flavor, you can toast the walnuts first in a dry pan for a minute or so over low heat until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer them quickly from the pan to the food processor – they can burn quickly.
- Don’t mix the sauce after adding olive oil over high speed or it may turn bitter. You want to pulse it very gently over the lowest speed.
- I prefer my pesto on the thicker side, if you want it thinner, just add more olive oil.
Ways to use pesto
Pesto makes everything taste better! Its uses are countless. Use it as:
- Pasta sauce.
- Salad dressing (thin it out with more olive oil or water).
- To spread on toast, bruschetta, focaccia, sandwich, pizza, flatbread or panini.
- Toss on top of steamed / fresh / roasted veggies.
- As a sauce for a burger.
Recipes:
- Pesto potato salad
- Shrimp Pesto Pasta
- Pesto chicken bake
- Pizza Toast
- Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
- Burrata Pasta
Here you’ll find all my ideas and recipes with pesto.
Storage and freezing
The basil pesto will keep up in the fridge for up to 3 days (stored in a tightly closed container or tightly covered with plastic foil). If you want to keep it longer, pour a small layer of olive oil on top of the pesto. This way you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
Pesto freezes very well. Put it in a tightly closed container or plastic bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
More pesto recipes you may like
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (Red Pesto)
- Arugula pistachio pesto
- Celery Leaf Pesto
- Wild garlic pesto (Ramp pesto)
- Classic basil pesto (with pine nuts)
- Parsley pesto
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Basil Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces (45g) basil leaves this about 3-4 loosely packed cups or 2 well-packed cups
- 1/2 cup (45g) grated parmesan cheese
- 1 small clove garlic
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup (33g) walnuts
- 1/4 cup (50g) olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Add walnuts, parmesan, lemon zest, and garlic into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Add basil leaves and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the food processor running at low speed, add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream until the oil is incorporated.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you’d like your pesto sauce thinner, just add more olive oil.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For a more pronounced nutty flavor, you can toast the walnuts first in a dry pan for a minute or so over low heat until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer them quickly from the pan to the food processor – they can burn quickly.
- Calories = the whole recipe (a little over 3/4 cup). This is only an estimate!
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