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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.

the ingredients for basil walnut pesto sauce resting on a wooden surface in containers

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

a white cloth, a dish of basil walnut pesto sauce, and a bundle of fresh basil on a wooden surface

a closeup of pesto made with basil and walnuts in a natural stoneware dish with a white cloth and fresh basil leaves resting next to the dish

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.

a gold spoon resting in a dish of basil walnut pesto sauce with a white cloth and fresh basil resting ona wooden surface next to it

Basil Walnut Pesto

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Author: Whip & Wander
Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 5 min
Yield: 1 cup
Category: Sauces & Savory Condiments
Method: Food Processor
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian

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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

Scale

2 cups (78g) basil, firmly packed
½ 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)
⅓ cup (40g) walnuts, chopped
⅓ cup (30g) shredded parmesan cheese
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
zest of 1 lemon + 1 tsp of lemon juice

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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