A year-round staple worth adding to your menu
Having a solid pesto recipe in your back pocket is worth its weight in gold. Pesto is easy to make, requires few ingredients, and is marvelously complementary in a vast number of dishes. This Basil Walnut Pesto recipe is my go-to when I’m in need of a little pesto magic. Loaded with classic pesto staples: fresh basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper, this pesto is complemented by walnuts which lend an earthy creaminess, lemon which brightens and opens the flavor profile, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to add a tiny boost of spice.
Whether you’re plucking the basil straight out of your garden in the summer or relying on your local grocery to stock the green herb in the cooler months, this Basil Walnut Pesto can be made in 5-minutes or less and is a year-round staple worth adding to your menu.
How to use Basil Walnut Pesto
- Drizzle over the top of a Caprese salad or this Strawberry Peach Summer Salad
- Drizzled on top of roasted vegetables or potatoes – swap out the chimichurri for pesto on these Smashed Potatoes
- Swirled into hummus or this Easy Labneh Cheese
- Stir it into mayo for a tasty dipping sauce for Pressure Cooker Artichokes
- Add to eggs. It’s wonderful drizzled on fried and scrambled eggs, omelets, or frittatas – Add a few dollops to a Kitchen Sink Frittata prior to baking or after it’s pulled out of the oven
- In pasta – choose your favorite noodle and once cooked, stir in a healthy measure of pesto and top with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese. It’s also particularly lovely rippled into alfredo, bechamel, and white cheddar pasta sauces
- In rice or risotto – add the same way you’d use it in pasta
- Mix it into creamy salad dressings or vinaigrettes and dress your salad greens
- Add a measure to potato salad for an extra herby kick
- Drizzle on top of grilled chicken or shrimp
- Swirl into creamy polenta and top with your choice of protein
- Use as a tasty pizza sauce instead of or in addition to tomato
- Bake it directly into bread for a tasty flavor swirl
- Spread on top of toast, baguette, or flatbread and top with fresh or blistered tomatoes
- It also makes a wonderful addition to sandwiches – spread directly on sandwich bread or swirl it into mayo for a creamy pesto mayo
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- A food processor or high-powered blender
- A cutting board
- A chefs knife
- A citrus zester and a citrus juicer
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
A note for special diets
This Basil Walnut Pesto is grain-free, gluten-free, low-lactose, and friendly for low-carb, keto, low-FODMAP, and vegetarian diets.
Basil Walnut Pesto
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 5 min
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Sauces & Savory Condiments
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Whether you’re plucking the basil straight out of your garden in the summer or relying on your local grocery to stock the green herb in the cooler months, this fodmap-friendly Basil Walnut Pesto can be made in 5-minutes or less and is a year-round staple worth adding to your menu.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (78g) basil, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup (106g) extra virgin olive oil – OR – for those following a low-FODMAP diet you can use garlic-infused olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (omit for low-FODMAP)
- 1/3 cup (40g) walnuts, chopped
- 1/3 cup (30g) shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- zest of 1 lemon + 1 tsp of lemon juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, except for the olive oil to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse for about 1 minute, until ingredients are mostly broken down and gravelly.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream, pulsing until combined and desired smoothness is achieved.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tbsp
- Calories: 172
- Sodium: 205 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 3 mg
Keywords: Basil Walnut Pesto
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