Pesto is a classic Italian sauce - but who says it has to have nuts? If you're allergic (or just want to mix things up), this nut-free homemade pesto brings all the bold, fresh flavor of pesto you love...sans nuts.
This recipe takes FIVE minutes to whip up, and it's wildly versatile, so I can guarantee you're gonna want to put it on everything. *cue Frank's red hot commercial here*
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Recipe at a Glance
- Cook Level: Quick and approachable; suitable for all skill levels.
- Taste/Flavor: Fresh basil paired with nutty parmesan cheese and a hint of garlic, resulting in a creamy and flavorful sauce.
- Prep Time: Approximately 5 (MAYYYYBE 10) minutes.
- Best Served With: Toss this pesto into heavy cream for a creamy pesto pasta, layer the pesto in pizza dough for my pizza pesto pinwheels, or slather onto pie crust for a savory tomato and pesto galette. I also love using this in a creamy pesto risotto.
Trusted Tips and Key Reminders
- You might need to add in more oil, more cheese, or more basil as you blend the ingredients together to make it creamy and smooth. If you like it more rustic, don't add more cheese!
- Use fresh basil leaves instead of frozen. If you have frozen basil, let it thaw completely before adding to the blender to make the pesto sauce.
- Don't worry about cutting the garlic into very small pieces, simply chop and throw into the blender. Let the blender do all the hard work.
Important Ingredients
- Basil: Basil is the most popular green herb used in making pesto. Known for its earthy and fragrant leaves, basil is perfect for pesto.
- Garlic: We use garlic to add a robust flavor to the pesto. It's one of the most important parts of pesto!
- Oil: Using oil helps to bind all of the ingredients together and form the sauce or paste.
- Parmesan cheese: We use parmesan cheese (or pecorino) to round out the flavor and add a creaminess to the pesto.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
How to make nut free pesto
Step 1: In a food processor, add the basil leaves, chopped garlic, oil, and parmesan cheese. Close tightly and blend until smooth.
Step 2: Continue to add more cheese and/or oil to your desired consistency: smooth in texture with minimal to no clumps of garlic or basil leaves.
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- For a vegan take on pesto, substitute parmesan with nutritional yeast.
- If you want to use spinach or arugula instead of basil, that works too, or use pistachios for a homemade pistachio pesto.
- You can also swap out the olive oil for avocado oil, but I would not use anything other than these two.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store this pesto?
For use in the near future, store in the fridge in a jar and use up to 7-10 days.
If you'd like to freeze the pesto, add 1 tablespoon of pesto to an ice tray for individual servings of pesto each time. You could also put the remainder of the pesto into a freezer friendly container and freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge or add directly to hot pasta or to a pot on a medium heat.
What kind of blender or food processor works for this pesto?
You can use a NutriBullet, a smaller food processor, a standard blender, or if you have all the time in the world, you can use a mortar and pestle and make it by hand.
Yes, this is nut free, but what if I just don't like pine nuts, can I use another nut?
You can use walnuts, almonds, pistachio, or cashews in this pesto if you don't have a worry of allergies. Pine nuts are pretty traditional, but other nuts work really well too.
Hungry for More?
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Easy Nut-Free Homemade Pesto Recipe
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 spatula
- 1 cutting board
- 1 sharp kitchen knife santoku or slicing
Ingredients
- 4 oz basil
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup oil
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the basil leaves, chopped garlic, oil, and parmesan cheese.
- Close tightly and blend until smooth.
- Continue to add more cheese and/or oil to your desired consistency: smooth in texture with minimal to no clumps of garlic or basil leaves.
- Serve as desired (sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, salads, etc.)
Artie Graham says
I made your homemade pesto to go with the pesto tortellini pasta recipe and I have to say this was really quite delicious. I never made my own pesto before, and always thought it had to have pine nuts, which I hate. So this was easy for me to make and I made a lot, now I can freeze it. Well done.
Morgan Peaceman says
Woohoo! I love making pesto with simple ingredients, and I too always freeze my leftovers.