Make my 5-ingredient Walnut Pesto Recipe in minutes. Perfect for pasta, on top of fish or roasted veggies.
Walnuts are one of the ingredients I try to eat a few times a week. They are rich in Omega 3s which help me regulate inflammation in my body as I tip toe through perimenopause.
Walnuts also contain tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin and melatonin which help with my mid-life moods and sleep.
If you love making pantry staples from scratch, check out my homemade Brazil Nut Milk recipe for THE creamiest, most delicious nut milk I make had. Plus, check out my Perimenopause Journey.
What is Pesto?
Pesto is essentially an Italian recipe, classically made by pounding together fresh basil leaves, pinenuts, Parmesan cheese (sometimes in combination with Pecorino), garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
It's originally from Genoa, Liguria. Although I've eaten it all over Italy, I've never tried it at the source. One day!
I remember back in Culinary School in the early 2000s, we'd make loads of pesto. It was a big thing in the late 90s/early 2000s.
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Ingredients
Here's everything I used to make this delicious Walnut Pesto Recipe. Refer to the sections below for variations and ingredient substitutions; this's a fairly flexible recipe.
- Fresh basil leaves: You can also use fresh cilantro or arugula to make your pesto, or a combination of them with fresh basil. Make sure to wash your leaves well to get rid of any sandy bits.
- Walnuts: Personally, I like to toast them as I prefer the flavor of toasted walnuts but this is totally up to you.
- Garlic: I like to use fresh garlic cloves rather than bottled or powdered garlic.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated or shaved is great. This Walnut Pesto Recipe is actually a great recipe to use when you have leftover Parmesan cheese.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The flavor of the oil shines in this recipe so use your good stuff.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here is my step-by-step guide to making this beautiful and lush Walnut Pesto Recipe:
- Step 1: Round up your ingredients.
- Step 2: Toast your walnuts and let them cool. Add them to the blender with the garlic.
- Step 3: Blend the walnuts and garlic until roughly chopped.
- Step 4: Add in the basil leaves, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, some salt and pulse. Add olive oil until you achieve the consistency you like.
Hint: You can make this pesto more or less oily, depending on how you like it and what you want to use it for.
Substitutions
So, this is a pretty simple recipe but there are a couple of ingredient swaps you can make:
- Olive oil: You can also use avocado oil if you prefer a neutral flavored oil. Avo oil will still give your Walnut Pesto Recipe a lush green hue.
- Parmesan: Pecorino is just as good, you guys!
- Basil: I only like to use Italian basil in my pesto recipes (and not Thai basil) but you can use arugula as probably the closest ingredient swap.
Variations
Go ahead and play around with this base recipe. These are a few variations I've tried and absolutely loved:
- Lemon pesto sauce: Stir in some freshly squeezed lemon juice for the most delicious lemony pesto ever!
- Hot 'n spicy: Blend in a few red chili flakes or drizzle in some chili oil. Go slowly and test as you add.
- Multi-nut: Lol, I know that's not an actual word. Blend in almonds or brazil nuts.
- Vegan: Swap the Parmesan cheese for a plant based alternative for a vegan pesto.
Serving Suggestions
There is SO MUCH you can do with your Walnut Pesto Recipe. The most common use in my home is straight into a pot with gluten free pasta and a squeeze of lemon. Check out my full recipe for Pasta with Lemon Sauce!
I also like to fold it into warm roasted veggies to give them some life. Sometimes I'll pop a frozen cube straight into a simple tomato pasta sauce or into a simmering pot of soup.
Lather baked fish in it or tuck it under a chicken's skin before roasting it. I lather it onto my Sourdough Bread with slices of avocado and tomato.
Equipment
I used my trusty mini food processor for this walnut pesto but you can also use a blender. I find a lot of blenders aren't very effective when it comes to processing pestos and prefer a food processor.
You'll also need a skillet or a baking sheet to toast the walnuts in.
Blender or Food Processor for Pesto?
It honestly depends on that brand of equipment you have. Personally I prefer a small food processor for small batches of Walnut Pesto Recipe like this. My blender doesn't whizz up enough to blend it easily.
Just a note that you can also make a pesto with a mortar and pestle if you don't have a blender or a food processor. It will just take a bit longer and the result might be a bit more rustic. But perfectly delicious, still.
Storage
To store. Spoon your pesto into a small glass jar or container. This Walnut Pesto Recipe will keep in the fridge for about 5 days.
To freeze. Spoon the pesto into ice trays and freeze until solid. Once frozen I like to pop the little cubes out and into a freezer bag. Random tip is that I have 1 ice tray that I keep just for savory type recipes like this. Basically to avoid my water ice cubes tasting like garlic.
Thaw the cubes out overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
Casey's Tip
Pour a little olive oil over the top of the pesto in the jar to prevent browning.
FAQ
Nope. Personally I prefer the taste of toasted walnuts. They are a little bitter, in my opinion, when used raw.
Yes! I like to add nutitional yeast when making a vegan version of my Walnut Pesto Recipe.
Add a little extra oil or even a tablespoon of water.
Your pesto can turn brown if it is exposed to air. If this happens, give it a stir and top it with a little more oil. It will be fine.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Walnut Pesto Recipe:
Walnut Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cup fresh basil leaves packed, washed, and dried
- 1 cup walnuts toasted
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- ½-1 cup Parmesan cheese grated or shaved
- ½-1 cup extra virgin olive oil EVOO
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts: Toast your walnuts in a dry skillet over 4 to 5 minutes and stir them occasionally. You can also toast them on a baking tray in a medium oven for about 8 minutes. Cool completely before using them.
- Blend the walnuts: Once cooled, pop the walnuts and garlic cloves into your food processor or blender. Blitz them for a few seconds until roughly chopped.
- Blend the pesto: Add in the basil leaves, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese and some salt. Pulse until everything is chopped up.
- Add in the oil: Add a little of the oil at a time and blend until you have the consistency you like. Taste and season as you go.
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