Walnut Basil Pesto
Pesto sauce is good on so many things besides pasta! Use it as a condiment on your sandwiches, burgers, and quesadillas. Add it to soups. Spread it over chicken, shrimp, or fish before baking or grilling. Mix it with additional EVOO or melted butter for a bread dip. Use it as a sauce for pizza or calzones. Mix it into your mashed potatoes or add olive oil for a vinaigrette for green salads. And don’t forget how good it is on hot pasta!
DISCLAIMER: This post may contain affiliate links. This means that Buffy and Patti may earn a small commission should you make a purchase using our links. There will be no extra cost to you. We will only suggest products we use and love and know you will love too!
Pesto is super easy to make and freezer-friendly. Pesto stores for about 3 weeks in the fridge. It will last about one year in your freezer when stored in canning jars, zip bags, or plastic lidded cups. Pesto makes a great holiday gift so plan to make more than you need. It’s a big hit with my co-workers! If you have lots of basil check out Our Favorite Basil Recipes and Dad’s Basil Jelly.
Grow a variety of basil
Every year I grow a bumper crop of basil – purple and green – which is my favorite combination for pesto. My two favorite basil plants are Genoyese (green) and Purple Ruffles (purple). Genovese has a spicy flavor and is one of the best and most popular for pesto. Purple basil has a more subtle and sweeter flavor and it mellows out the stronger green basil. Which means you can use it on everything without the pesto overpowering the flavor of the dish.
Step 1: Remove the stems and wash and dry the basil
Step 2: Prepare the walnuts
Dad and I foraged for walnuts this year. So I needed to shell the meat from the walnuts. You can buy walnuts, too. Pulse them in the food processor. If you plan to make a lot of recipes from scratch you’ll need a good food processor. I’ve had my Cuisinart 8-Cup Food Processor for years. Read about gleaning fruits and nuts.
Step 3: Add ingredients
Add olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic, red chili flakes, and salt to food processor. Pulse a few times. Add walnuts and basil. Mix until smooth.
Step 4: Store in jars or plastic lidded cups
Supplies you may need
Here’s the recipe!
Basil Walnut Pesto
Basil Walnut Pesto comes together in about 15 minutes with just a few ingredients. Great for pasta, sandwich spreads, dipping sauce, and soup garnishing! Easy to make and freezer-friendly.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves You can mix purple and green
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
-
1. Remove stem, wash and dry the basil leaves.
2. Grate the Parmesan cheese, if necessary
3. Chop walnuts into small pieces then pulse in the food processor.
4. Pour the olive oil into your food processor.
4. Add the Parmesan cheese, garlic cloves and basil.
6. Blend until completely smooth.
7. Store in jars of your choice
Pesto is freezer-friendly!
