Homemade Walnut Basil Pesto Sauce
Walnut basil pesto is the perfect way to capture summer’s garden flavors and save them up for the cold, gray days of winter.
This classic pasta sauce has many uses and is a simple recipe to make. All you need are a few ingredients, one kitchen appliance and some storage jars.
I used an old fashioned blender to make my walnut basil pesto. It’s been in the family for at least a quarter century. Some people use a blender on a frequent basis. We do not.
Once in awhile I make smoothies. Every few months I use it to purees some veggies for a treat I bake up for the parrot. Once or twice a year we make milkshakes.
The blender works well enough for this recipe. However, if you have a food processor, that’s bound to work better! Do you need and excuse to buy a new appliance? You’re welcome.
This summer has been a good one for my garden! I’ve had great results from several of the plants, but especially the basil. I only planted a single seedling, since I didn’t want to have too much basil to harvest.
Guess what? That one plant is giving me more than I hoped for! I’ve got enough basil to last us all year!
I made Basil Oil from some of the leaves. You can read that recipe here. That oil is such a pretty green! I can’t wait to use it!
The classic way to use basil leaves is in pesto. History tells us that pesto sauce has been made since the 1500’s. Traditional recipes rely on basil and pine nuts.
In modern times, we’ve substituted many garden greens and nuts for those traditional ingredients.
Pine nuts are not commonly found in my grocery stores. When I do find them for sale, they are in small packages and a bit pricey for my preferences.
Walnuts are easily found and more affordable in my area, so they are the hearty ingredients in this recipe.
Make It a Meal:
Walnut basil pesto can be used as a sauce on pasta or as a spread on sandwiches.
Add it to a menu that includes: Mushroom and Tomato Pasta, Savory Onion Bread, Tomato Basil Soup, Ricotta Dip, and cheesecake.
Pin It:
If you love this recipe and want to save it for later, pin it to your Pinterest account.
Storage:
I’ve placed my walnut basil pesto in jelly jars for storage. This is the right size, about 8 servings of pasta can be coated in this amount of sauce.
Pesto will keep in the refrigerator for one week in an airtight container. You can also freeze pesto for up to a year in the glass jars.
Interested in one of the books pictured above? You can purchase on Amazon here.
Gather your ingredients and make this easy recipe today!
Walnut Basil Pesto Recipe
Ingredients:
Garden fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and salt & pepper.
Recipe Directions:
Chop, blend, mix, store and serve!
Walnut Basil Pesto Recipe
Here's a classic recipe with a slight twist. Make your basil pesto with walnuts!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Fresh Basil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1/3 cup Walnuts Chopped
- 3 tsp Garlic Minced
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
-
Gather your ingredients and tools > Measuring cups and spoons, blender or food processor, storage jars.
-
Place basil, garlic and walnuts in blender. Pulse until roughly chopped.
-
Using the "chop" setting on your blender, add the olive oil in a drizzle to the chopped ingredients.
-
Once all of the oil is added and combined, add the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and lemon juice.
-
Mix well. Your pesto is ready when it resembles a coarse peanut butter.
-
Transfer from blender to storage jars.
Approximate Nutritional Information:
Servings Per Recipe: 20, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 75, Fat: 7.5g, Cholesterol: 4g, Sodium: 52mg, Carbs: 1g, Protein: 2g
(please remember these are approximate and will vary slightly based on your ingredient selections.)
