Pesto Without Pine Nuts

This Pesto without Pine Nuts is an easy, healthy pesto that is perfect if you run out of pine nuts or have nuts allergies. Plus, it is ready in under 5 minutes, and use a good amount of basil to use the overgrown herbs in your garden.

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We love pesto recipes in my house. It’s such a great condiment to add to roasted vegetables, pasta, or simply spread on bread. I have been experimenting with new pesto versions, and making spinach pesto was excellent. Today, I made a pesto without pine nuts, using walnuts as an alternative.

Walnuts have a very similar texture to pine nuts. It’s fatty and adds excellent texture to the pesto. Plus, it contains 500% more calcium, which is a great healthy option. It’s indeed possible to make pesto recipes with nuts other than pine nuts.

The goal of pine nuts in pesto is to add a creamy texture, so nuts or seeds with a similar fat content work well. As a result, you can make pesto with excellent results using walnuts, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All you need to make this easy walnut pesto are:

• Basil Leaves – fresh, washed, and drained.
• Parmesan Cheese or other Italian cheese like Pecorino Romano, a hard Italian cheese made from sheep milk.
• Walnuts or sunflower seeds for a homemade nut-free pesto recipe.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This is essential for classic pesto flavors and to give it its consistency.
• Fresh Garlic – peeled and whole.
• Ground Pepper – Any pepper works.

How To Make Pesto Without Pine Nuts

This pesto recipe without pine nuts is easy to make in 10 minutes, like any classic pesto recipe.

1. Place the leaves in a sieve and rinse them under cold tap water.
2. Then, lay a large piece of absorbent paper on your benchtop and arrange the wet basil leaves in a single layer.
3. Place an extra absorbent kitchen towel on top and press rub to remove excess water without breaking the leaves. You must remove all the water or most of it to guarantee fresh, flavorful flavors. Don’t add water to the pesto recipe or the texture split.
4. Add the basil leaves and walnuts to a food processor and blend on medium speed until a coarse mixture forms.
5. Next, add freshly grated Parmesan cheese, whole peeled garlic cloves, salt, and pepper.
6. Process again on low-medium speed, or use the pulse option of the food processor to pulse the garlic into a crumbly texture.
7. Now, set the speed to low, and add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. I like to pour the olive oil into the top diffuser attachment or my food chopper. It releases the oil slowly and makes the pesto perfect every time.
8. For a chunky texture, don’t over-process the pesto. Stop the food processor a bit before, and stir in oil by hand.

Serving Ideas

I use pesto in so many ways. It’s a delicious addition to:

• Cooked Pasta or try my pesto zucchini noodles.
• Grilled Chicken – Try adding a tablespoon on top of my cast-iron chicken breast. It tastes like garlic butter with a touch of basil – amazing!
• Pizza Base for a pesto pizza – try this with my almond flour pizza crust for a healthy pizza.
• Roasted Vegetables like roasted cauliflower or roasted potatoes.
• Creamy Sauce to make pesto sauces try to stir a few tablespoons in my bechamel cheese sauce or my 3-ingredient of alfredo sauce.
• Salad
• Bread – Pesto is also a great appetizer to spread on a toasted baguette or wholegrain bread. Add some feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, or cured ham with it for a lovely crostini recipe.

Storage Instructions

You can store pesto leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator or a glass mason jar. Basil pesto lasts for 4 to 5 days in the fridge, and sometimes, the top darkens as it oxidizes. The pesto is still tasty to eat, but stir it before serving.

To prevent your pesto color from changing and oxidizing, add a thin layer of olive oil on top of the jar. The oil creates a barrier between the pesto and air, avoiding oxidation of the herbs.

You can also freeze the pesto in airtight freezer bags, or better, in ice cube trays. This technique is excellent as you can thaw a small serving of pesto at a time or directly add a cube of frozen pesto to a pan to flavor sauteed cauliflower or steamed vegetables.

Allergy Swaps

Below are some ingredient substitution suggestions if you need them.

• Nut-Free – If you have nut allergies, replace the walnuts with sunflower seeds.
• Dairy-Free – You can use any kind of dairy-free parmesan or use nutritional yeast to make a vegan pesto with a lovely cheesy flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are my answers to your most common questions about this pesto recipe.

More Dip And Spread Recipes

Here are some more dip and spread recipes for you to try.