Walnut Pesto Recipes

THE BEST BASIC PESTO

Steps:

• Place the walnuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely chopped, about 10 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper and process until mixture resembles a paste, about 1 minute. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly blended. Add the Parmesan and process a minute more. Use pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or air-tight plastic container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil (this seals out the air and prevents the pesto from oxidizing, which would turn it an ugly brown color). It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Pesto can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. You can also divide your prepared pesto into the compartments of an ice cube tray and freeze. Once it's frozen, remove the pesto cubes from the tray and put in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container. You can add the defrosted pesto cubes to soups, pasta dishes, eggs, sandwiches, and potatoes.

EASY WALNUT BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Pulse walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor until walnuts are finely chopped. Add basil leaves a little at a time, pulsing until a smooth paste forms. Mix in Parmesan cheese.

PESTO

Steps:

• Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Place the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor or blender, and mix well. Add the walnuts, and continue to blend until the nuts are finely ground.
• Keep the machine running as you drizzle in the olive oil. When you have a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• If you are not going to use the pesto right away, place in a container that has a tight-fitting lid. Smooth out the top surface of the pesto, and pour on enough olive oil to cover it completely. This creates an air-proof seal that helps preserve it well. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.

BASIL-WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Place basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic and salt (if using) in food processor.
• Blend until thoroughly combined.
• Add Parmesan and butter (if using) and blend 5-10 seconds more.
• Just before serving, add 2 Tbsp of hot pasta water from cooked pasta.
• Serve over pasta with bread and salad.

WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Blend basil, walnuts, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice together in a food processor until pesto has a paste-like consistency.

BASIL WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Pulse together basil and walnuts in a food processor (I used my mini one for this batch - easy clean up - but feel free to double the recipe if you're in need of a bigger batch). Add garlic and olive oil. Pulse again. Add cheese, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Pulse until just blended. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and pulse a few more times. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Add more olive oil before serving, if taken straight from the fridge.

CILANTRO WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Heat the walnuts in skillet over medium heat to toast. They are done when they smell slightly toasty and nutty.
• Meanwhile, get to chopping. Start with the garlic then gradually add in the cilantro, cheese, and evenutally the walnuts when toasted. Chop until the mixture is very fine, almost a paste. Add the seasonings, zest and juice and mix.
• Pour a drizzle of olive oil over the pesto slowly until it is saturated. Taste it and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
• When serving, reserve 1/4 cup hot cooking liquid and toss in a bowl with the hot pasta or veggies. Do not cook or it will lose a lot of its flavor. Add extra oil and lemon juice or rice vinegar to make it a dressing. A good dressing ratio is 2 parts oil to one part acid.

PASTA WITH CREAMY WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, put the walnuts and garlic in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the basil, cheese, butter and oil and pulse a few more times. Season.
• Pour the cream into a pan and warm through. Add two-thirds of the pesto, then gently heat to loosen it. When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the cooking water, then mix both with the sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the extra Parmesan and basil, if using. The leftover pesto will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to a month.