Homemade pesto without pine nuts is an amazing fresh and vibrant Italian sauce that can be added to pasta, meat or used as a dip. There are many types of pesto recipes which utilize many different types of ingredients but this homemade pesto is the more traditional basil version.
This homemade pesto is made without pine nuts and uses walnuts instead. It is easy, delicious and the perfect summer sauce.
About this pesto recipe without pine nuts:
Traditionally basil pesto is made with basil, parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil and pine nuts. This version uses walnuts which I think tastes so much better than pine nuts. You can also use almonds if you do not have walnuts available or opt for the traditional pine nuts.
Another reason why I love making pesto without pine nuts is I am not a fan of the flavor of pine nuts. They are also very pricey and not always easy to find.
How to use this pesto:
Pesto is used by the Italians in many different types of dishes. The traditional way of adding it to pasta like in my pesto pasta is what most of us know of and it tastes amazing.
Some other ways to use this pesto without pine nuts:
- Served over chicken or fish
- As a dip for vegetables
- My favorite way which is to serve a big bowl of it with some good Italian crusty bread to dip in it.
- You can also use it as a topping for your soups like Minestrone to add a punch of flavor.
Customizing this recipe easy homemade pesto recipe:
One of the great things about making your own homemade pesto is that you can customize it to your own taste. Just like I did here, I prefer walnuts to pine nuts so I made a pesto without the pine nuts.
You can also go heavier or lighter on the garlic, olive oil or other ingredients in the pesto that you make.
The only thing you want to make sure you do when you adjust the ingredients is make sure you achieve the right consistency at the end. Somewhat thick and not runny is the ideal pesto consistency.
Once you try out this easy homemade pesto, you can start experimenting with other types of pesto. From sun dried tomato pesto to arugula and spinach pesto. There is no wrong way to make this amazing Italian staple.
It is all about using fresh and delicious ingredients and what you have on hand. Italian cooking is all about not wasting anything.
How long will this homemade pesto last?
You may be wondering how long will this pesto recipe without pine nuts last or what is the best way to store it. If you do have leftover pesto, the best thing to do is place it in a jar and drizzle a little olive oil over the top (to keep it from drying out).
Drizzling olive oil over the top of your homemade pesto keeps the top from drying out.
To store your homemade pesto, after drizzling olive oil over the top, just place it in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Homemade Pesto
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- a heaping ½ cup of chopped fresh parsely
- a heaping ½ cup of course chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup of shredded fresh parmesan
- 3 tablespoon of olive oil
- 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup walnuts toasted. You can also use almonds or pine nuts.
- ½ lemon squeezed
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- water to thin if necessary
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients to a food processor starting with your liquids first so they are at the bottom.4 cloves of garlic minced, a heaping ½ cup of chopped fresh parsely, a heaping ½ cup of course chopped fresh basil, ½ cup of shredded fresh parmesan, 3 tablespoon of olive oil, 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil, ⅓ cup walnuts, ½ lemon squeezed, ½ teaspoon of salt
- Pulse your ingredients until they begin to come together and form a pesto.
- Do not over mix or your pesto will be too smooth; you want a little texture.
- Taste for seasoning and add any salt or pepper as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Jeff says
We made this with the walnuts and it tasted amazing. I like this so much better than using pine nuts