Basil Walnut Pesto

The fresh basil in my North Carolina garden is going wild. I wanted to harvest it at its peak and my mind turned to pesto. This pesto freezes well or can be stored in the refrigerator for days. I love a good garlicky pesto but rarely have pine nuts in the pantry, the typical nut used in pesto. We always have a big jar of walnuts, however, so I thought I’d try this substitute. It was fabulous! In fact, I much prefer it with walnuts plus you get an extra boost of omega-3s. Pesto is so fast and easy to make and it goes well on pasta, fish, roasted vegetables or simply dip a piece of crusty bread into this fresh pesto.

Basil Walnut Pesto

⅓ cup walnuts

3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Add to a food processor the walnuts and garlic and process until coarse. Add the basil, salt and pepper and process to a paste. Slowly add the olive oil while processor is running. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and process one minute longer.

Use pesto immediately or store in a jar in the refrigerator for 5 days. Add a thin layer of olive oil to the top of the pesto to keep the pesto from oxidizing and turning brown.

You may also, spoon the pesto into ice cubes trays and freeze. Once frozen, you may transfer them to another container and store in the freezer.

Have you made pesto? What is your go-to version? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below.