Walnut pesto is the perfect recipe to use up all that summer garden basil. This vibrant green sauce has a garlicky, herb flavor that's salty and rich from the addition of parmesan cheese and walnuts.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Bright, herby, garlicky, and salty.
Key ingredients: Fresh basil leaves, garlic, parmesan cheese, walnuts, lemon, olive oil.
Great for allergies: Pesto can be made with a variety of nuts or seeds if you have a pine nut allergy. Walnuts are great because they're available year round and may already be in your pantry!
Yield: 1 cup
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Basil leaves - Fresh, young basil leaves are best. Be sure to remove all of the stems and don't use basil from a flowered plant (both can cause your pesto to turn out bitter).
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is best. I don't recommend using jarred garlic, which often has a bitter, harsh flavor.
- Parmesan cheese - Adds salty flavor and creamy texture to the pesto.
- Lemon juice - Brightens and balances the flavor of the pesto.
- Salt & pepper - Adds flavor to the pesto.
- Olive oil - Use a high quality, fresh olive oil. When olive oil begins to turn rancid, it can have a harsh, bitter flavor.
How to make pesto
- Add dry ingredients and lemon juice to the bowl of your food processor.
- Pulse a few times until combined into a rough paste.
- Drizzle in olive oil as you continue to pulse.
- Stop when you reach the desired consistency
Tips and tricks
Don't blend for too long - Short, brief pulses are all you'll need to blend your pesto. Blending for too long can cause the pesto to turn out bitter.
Use fresh ingredients - This is arguably the most important tip when making a pesto. Since the ingredient list is short and there's no cooking involved, it's important to use fresh ingredients for best flavor.
Do a taste test and adjust as needed - Does your pesto taste a little bitter? Add a touch more lemon juice and optionally, a very small amount of granulated sugar or honey. Don't skip the salt and pepper. They help balance the flavor of the pesto.
Frequently asked questions
Your homemade pesto will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
Any nuts or seeds can be used instead of pine nuts. I prefer to use walnuts because they're readily available year round, easy to find, and less expensive than pine nuts. Other options include almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pecans, or pistachios.
Pesto can be used as a sauce or condiment in a wide variety of recipes. Here are a few ideas:
- Pesto mozzarella chicken
- Substitute pizza sauce with pesto
- Pesto tortellini
- Turkey pesto pinwheel sandwiches
- Add to a charcuterie board
- Pesto chicken pasta
- Stir into condiments like mayonnaise or sour cream
- Use as a sandwich spread
- Spread onto crusty bread as an appetizer
- Toss with roasted veggies
- Top a baked potato
Pesto is made with several components that can turn rancid quickly in your pantry. Use fresh, high quality ingredients for best results.
- Flowered basil plant - This can cause the leaves to taste bitter. Use young basil leaves or basil from a plant that's frequently pruned.
- Bitter stems - Remove the stems from your basil leaves.
- Old ingredients - Older olive oil and jarred garlic can have a bitter taste. Use fresh garlic instead.
- Walnuts - Walnuts can have a bitter flavor because they can go rancid quickly. Use fresh walnuts, or try sunflower seeds, almonds, or cashews instead.
- Blending too long - Basil, olive oil, and even garlic can get bitter if they're blended too long in the food processor. Only pulse long enough to achieve the desired texture. See this article for more information: Serious Eats - Does blending olive oil make it more bitter?
- Lemon juice - Add a little more lemon juice. The acidity helps balance the flavor.
- Sugar - Add a tiny amount (½ teaspoon or less) of granulated sugar or honey. Mix, do a taste test, and add more as needed.
- Salt - Don't skip the salt - it can help balance the flavor of the pesto.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups (40 g) fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup (50 g) grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup (28 g) chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespooons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup (67 g) olive oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add basil leaves, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, walnuts, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times until combined (do not over-blend).
- Drizzle in olive oil and pulse until desired consistency achieved.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- To prevent bitter pesto: Use fresh ingredients, don't use jarred garlic, remove all basil stems, and don't omit any listed ingredients.
- Still bitter?: Add a bit more lemon juice, a tiny amount of granulated sugar or honey (½ teaspoon or less), and don't skip the salt or olive oil. All of these ingredients help balance the flavor of the pesto and help combat bitterness.
- Storage: Pesto will keep for 1 week in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, or 2-3 months in the freezer.
- Substitutions: Pine nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, pecans, or pistachios.
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