I love greens and what better way to enjoy them than in a delicious homemade Walnut Basil Pesto. There is a simplicity to pesto that really should be honoured and if you have watched Salt Fat Acid Heat with Samin Nosrat on Netflix, she will take you on a journey to the villiage in Italy where is comes from. I have made Pesto in a mortar & pestle too and it really is so tasty, but if you are pressed for time, a blender does the trick too.
canola oil is a no-no in my pesto
I make pesto because I love basil and it is easy to grow. I’m also a little annoyed that the store bought versions are adding canola oil to theirs. I do not like canola oil and try to limit my exposure to it. This means I have to make my own with olive oil. Here is a really quick and simple recipe to get you going. It’s deliciously tasty on homemade sourdough bread, stir it though a steaming bowl of pasta, add it to salad dressings, top in on grilled chicken or fillet or add it to your favourite vegetables. It will elevate your dish with flavour and add good, healthy fats to your diet from the nuts and olive oil for your brain health too. My Pleasure!
Pesto means to pound. Pesto Genovese is the traditional pesto with basil, pine nuts, olive oil, salt and parmesan from Genoa, Italy. If you are going to make pesto, you can pound any leafy greans that you enjoy. I did sneak in some baby spinach here and it did not alter the taste. This is a really great way to fox your kiddies if you are looking for ways to get them to eat leafy greens. My nephew, Brad loves pesto and when he was growing up I wish I had made this recipe for him back then. He would never hae detected the spinach.
Walnut Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 80 g basil leaves
- 20 g baby spinach
- 4 fat garlic cloves skin removed and roughly chopped 1 and a quarter cups grated Parmesan
- 21 walnuts
- 1 tsp juice of lemon
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt or regular salt.
- 1 – 1½ cups olive oil a delicate olive oil works well
Instructions
- Place half the basil and spinach in a blender fitted with a blade attachment and blitz so that there is room for the other ingredients. Now add the garlic, half walnuts, half Parmesan and blitz to blend. With motor still running pour in half the olive oil. The consistency must be chunky and coarse that will add texture to whatever you add it to. Repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients mentioned above. Now add the salt and lemon juice and mix. Taste and adjust seasonings if need be.