Basil Walnut Pesto
on Oct 01, 2021, Updated May 10, 2024
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I know you all have basil growing out of control in your backyard gardens like I do so let’s make an easy Basil Walnut Pesto. There are few things that taste as fresh and ☀️ summery as a homemade pesto. It is so bright and sings with simplicity and sophistication. Its vibrant 🌿 green color beautifully elevates a pasta dish, bruschetta, homemade pizza and even grilled beef or chicken. A simple pesto embodies the best of Italian cooking: simple, high-quality ingredients that use the best of the season.
Why You’ll Love Basil Walnut Pesto
This simple Basil Walnut Pesto is summer in a jar. You will love how easy it is to throw together, and how many dishes you can add this to. The ingredients may be simple, but using high-quality 🫒 olive oil and parmesan will really make this shine even brighter. The freshness of the basil and richness of the parm is just a match made in heaven. The walnuts give the pesto a bit of bite and a delicious nuttiness. Keep a 🫙 jar in the fridge (or freeze in cubes) and use this pesto in pasta, in a warp, on a pizza, or over grilled steak chimichurri-style. You cannot go wrong!
How to Prepare Basil Walnut Pesto
🌿 Add the basil, garlic, and walnuts to a food processor and then blitz until crumbly.
🧂 Add the grated parmesan, a pinch of salt, and then blitz again.
🫒 Now, slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the spout until you have your desired consistency.
Nonna’s Tip 🫙
Use this pesto within 7 days covered in the fridge. You can also freeze in a jar/container for 3 to 4 months. I also like to freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray and once it’s frozen, transfer those pesto cubes into a Ziploc bag for ready-to-go individual portions.
Variations and Substitutions for Basil Walnut Pesto
- If you are nut-free, you can use hemp hearts or seeds instead of walnuts.
- Walnuts are definitely the more economical choice in this Basil Walnut Pesto, but you could use pine nuts instead if you want to keep to the most authentic version. You can also lightly ♨️ toast the nuts as well if you prefer.
- You can certainly use Pecorino Romano cheese instead of parmesan.
- If you want a milder basil flavor, feel free to use 🥬 1/2 baby spinach and 1/2 basil leaves or add some parsley to the mix.
Similar Recipes
Best Served With
- Enjoy this Basil Walnut Pesto for breakfast with my popular 🥚 pesto eggs.
- This pesto is a dream for lunch options. Use it in 🌯 wraps or in sandwiches, or as a dressing in a pasta salad. You can also use it as marinade on chicken or shrimp or anything else you love.
- Bring this Basil Walnut Pesto to the dinner table and use it as a marinade on chicken or shrimp, use it chimichurri-style over grilled 🥩 steak, on top of a 🍕 pizza, tossed with hot pasta or as a spread on pizza or bruschetta.
Common Questions
If you cannot have nuts, I suggest making this pesto using hemp hearts or seeds instead.
Pine nuts are the most traditional choice in a pesto, but they can be pricey! You could also try this with almonds or pecans instead.
This pesto recipe really highlights basil! But if you want to cut it a bit, I suggest adding in some baby spinach or even parsley to the food processor as well.
I have this food processsor and love it! It’s nice and large, washes well and is great quality.
If you don’t have a food processor you can do this in a blender but you will have to keep opening the blender to add a little bit of oil at a time and blending and scraping it down to help it along. If you are old school you can also use a mortar and pestle which is the traditional way, but will definitely take more time.
You can freeze in a mason jar/container for 3 to 4 months. I also like to freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray and once it’s frozen transfer those pesto cubes into a Ziploc bag for ready-to-go individual portions.
Basil Walnut Pesto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1-2 garlic cloves, I like more but it’s up to you
- ⅓ cup walnuts, or pine nuts
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup parmigiano, to taste
- ½ cup olive oil , until desired consistency
Instructions
- Add the basil, garlic, and nuts of choice to a food processor. Blitz until crumbly.
- Add the grated parmesan, pinch of salt and blitz again.
- Slowly start to add in the olive oil through the spout and a little bit at a time until you have your desired consistency.
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A hundred times better than store bought pesto! Delicious on pasta and with eggs.
So happy you loved it, Carla! ☺️
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Easiest recipe to follow for walnut pesto. I have made it several times and it always turns out delicious!
Aww thanks Michelle, love that! 😘
So simple and fresh. I avoid dairy. Even without parmesan, it was very tasty on roasted veggies, in a turkey sandwich, and with tortilla chips.
Yum, I love your serving suggestions! Thank you, Kami! 💕
My family loves this pesto! Preparation is easy and the results are mouth watering!
Thanks Bryna!
Can you use fresh Parmigiana or do you have to use the dry grated style?
Freshly grated is the best!
Do you packed the the basil to get two cups?
Two cups, loosely packed.