Light, flavorful and chock full of healthy fats, Basil Walnut Pesto is made with less than 5 ingredients and can turn ordinary into extraordinary in a matter of minutes.
Pesto = “magic sauce”
For two reasons. It’s magic in that all you have to do is toss a few ingredients into a food processor, let ‘er rip, and in seconds you have a delicious homemade pesto. Secondly, it’s magic in that it truly turns something ordinary into extraordinary in just minutes or maybe even seconds. For example, let’s take spaghetti squash, gluten-free pasta, a plain ‘ol chicken breast or zucchini noodles. Add a little Basil Walnut Pesto to those somewhat bland foods and you’ll turn them into something totally scrumptious and full of flavor.
Light, flavorful and chock full of healthy fats, Basil Walnut Pesto is made with less than 5 ingredients and can turn ordinary into extraordinary in a matter of minutes. Click To Tweet
Bright, light, clean and allergy-friendly
Traditionally, pesto is a simple sauce made of just five ingredients: fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Our version veers slightly from the traditional recipe in that it’s made with walnuts to make it more budget-friendly (pine nuts are great but…$$$$) and we omitted the parmesan to make it dairy-free, paleo and Whole30-friendly. Lastly, we added some lemon juice to give it a subtle zingy flavor. For a nut-free pesto, simply substitute pumpkin seeds for the walnuts. Magic sauce for everyone!
Love those healthy fats!
This Basil Walnut Pesto is chock full of healthy fats, specifically from a superfood nut. Walnuts are a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. Plus, they’re rich in phenols and flavonoids giving them an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant edge over the pine nuts traditionally used in pesto. Beyond using walnuts in pesto, you can also enjoy them topped on a salad, oatmeal, yogurt, or added to cookies and muffins.
This Basil Walnut Pesto makes everything you put it on so insanely delicious and oh so flavorful. Here are just a few ways you can enjoy Walnut Basil Pesto:
- Serve over roasted spaghetti squash for a comforting bowl of “noodles” you can really tuck into.
- Serve it over grilled chicken, fish, shrimp or steak for a mind-blowing boost of flavor.
- Toss it with your favorite roasted or grilled vegetables for a fresh, flavorful and easy side dish.
- Toss it with zucchini noodles or another spiralized vegetable noodle, add your favorite protein and you’ve got yourself a wholesome and tasty meal.
- Toss it with gluten-free pasta for a hearty, comfort-food pasta dish.
We’d love to hear if you give this Basil Walnut Pesto a try and how you choose to serve it!
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Basil Walnut Pesto
This light and fresh pesto makes an ideal topping for roasted or grilled vegetables, meat or fish or just a simple side dish when tossed with a bowl of zucchini “noodles” or spaghetti squash.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
- Category: Sauces & Condiments
Ingredients
- 4 ounces fresh basil (about 2 cups packed leaves)
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided (may sub avocado oil)
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- To the bowl of a food processor, basil walnuts, ¼ cup olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.
- Blend until smooth, adding the final 2 Tbsp. olive oil through the chute in the lid while the motor is running.
- Taste, then add salt and pepper to taste.
- To keep pesto from browning, pour enough olive oil into the jar to completely cover the surface of the pesto.
- For longer storage, freeze pesto in ice cube trays then transfer frozen cubes to a zip-top bag. Thaw and use as a sauce or add frozen to soups or stews.
Notes
All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on Simply Nourished Recipes so credit is given where credit is due. Thank you!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tbsp.
- Calories: 93
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later!
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
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All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
Lrp says
This is really good and simple to make. You do not miss the parm cheese at all.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks! So true about the parm – I find that if you add a little more salt and lemon it gives you the same tangy flavor as the cheese normally does.
Katie Fritz says
This recipe looks awesome, and I’m obsessed with pesto. The only unfortunate thing is I’m allergic to walnuts. Is there any nut you’d recommend in replace of walnuts?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Katie,
Pine nuts, traditionally used in pesto, are perfect here – or your could use sunflower/pumpkin seeds or almonds (sliced is best) if you don’t have pine nuts on hand.
Taylor says
I’m trying whole 30 for the first time and have always been a pesto lover, so this seems perfect! What is the refrigeration life?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Taylor,
You can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days provided you pour a thin layer of olive oil over the surface to prevent it from browning and spoiling. If you need to keep it longer, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray (I use a silicone tray for easy removal) then pop the cubes out to store in the freezer until you need them. I usually freeze them in 1 Tbsp. portions for quick thawing. Hope that helps – have a great Whole30!
L Blair says
My mom is allergic to pine nuts so the walnut was a perfect substitute. This was a simple and delicious recipe!
Emily says
I never leave comments on anything, but I have made this pesto more times than I can count and I am so obsessed with it. Can’t sing your praises enough! Although I do add extra garlic, cause I am a stinky garlic lover. Who needs cheese in their pesto when it tastes THIS GOOD?! Thank you!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thanks, Emily! I tend to agree about not needing cheese in my pesto. If I am going to use it I’ll sprinkle it on top so I can actually see it (which, for some reason, is a big thing for me).
Megan says
Love love this recipe. Make it all the time – sooooo much better than from a jar! When not on a Whole 30 round, add a couple TB of parmesan cheese for an even deeper flavor!
★★★★★
Sharon says
With an abundance of basil in our garden this year, we were looking for a pesto recipe that didn’t have pine nuts in it. This one is perfect. The walnuts still give it that nutty flavor and we didn’t miss the cheese because we sprinkle a little on top.
★★★★★
Kathi M says
The walnuts are a great alternative to pine nuts (so expensive!). I did need to add some parmesan that I had. I just felt it needed more flavor. I also added some red pepper flakes. I was able to fill an 8 oz jar and had some left to freeze.