Picture of Walnut Pesto in a wide-mouth Mason Jar. Fresh, green basil leaves decorate the background.

Walnut Pesto

Jun 10, 2022

This walnut pesto is delicious and so easy to make! It uses walnuts which are cheaper and easier to find than pine nuts. I put this on pasta, pizza, rice, and more!

Basil

I recommend using Genovese or Sweet Basil for this recipe, it is the most common type of basil you can get. If you don't have enough Genovese or Sweet Basil for the recipe, you can add in some spinach or Thai Basil. The flavor will be different, but still delicious!

Walnuts

This pesto recipe uses walnuts instead of pine nuts. To maximize the flavor of the walnuts, lightly toast them in a pan with a little cooking oil till golden brown. This will bring a different depth of flavor into your pesto than using plain raw walnuts.

On left side of image is a blender cup filled with pesto ingredients, unblended. Right side is after the ingredients have been blended, and still in blender cup.

Walnut pesto in mason jar, with walnuts and basil leaves as decoration. Sunlight is shining on the pesto, making it glow and look more appetizing.

Walnut Pesto

Serves 4

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 C. Walnuts
  • 1/3 C. Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 2 C. Fresh Basil
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • 1/3 C. Olive Oil*
  • 2 T. Lemon Juice
  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a medium frying pan, add a drizzle of cooking oil and the walnuts. Cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until the walnuts are golden brown.
  2. Place all the ingredients into a blender (I use a blender cup) and blend till smooth.
  3. Add to pasta, pizza, sandwiches, etc. and enjoy!

Notes:

*Substitute 1-2 T. of the olive oil for your favorite chili oil. I use my chili crisp oil, recipe found in this blog.

Avocado oil, canola oil, or any neutral oil can be used in place of the olive oil.