Kitchen Fundamentals: Walnut Pesto
Pesto is one of those things that I think every cook should be able to whip up. It’s perfect spread on a baguette or mixed into pasta. It makes simple sandwiches seem fancy, and it can even be used as a marinade. Something so versatile deserves a place in every kitchen.
Clara’s version of helping in the kitchen.
Basil pesto has never been my favorite, which is strange given my love for all things basil. I’ve found I prefer nuttier pestos with other herbs, and this walnut one is the best one I’ve made to date. I love the texture and almost creaminess the walnuts add to this pesto. This is the first version I’ve made without cheese, and I didn’t even miss it. It’s garlicky and fresh, and we loved it so much that we made it two weeks in a row. Oh, did I mention that Clara loved it, too? Like seriously loved it. Enough to lick the spatula clean and then stick her fingers into the jar before I could even get the lid on. What can I say? The girl has good taste.
- YIELD: about 1 cup
1½ cups lightly packed cilantro
½ cup lightly packed parsley
¾ cup walnuts
2 garlic cloves
6 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 1
Combine the cilantro, parsley, walnuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add the red pepper flakes for a bit more kick.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
I love pesto. But getting masses of basil can be pricey. But cilantro—that’s different. So I pinned this recipe, because I don’t want to lose track of it. Yay!
Love that this uses cilantro and parsley…and I also LOVE that it doesn’t have any cheese in it. I don’t eat grains or dairy so I love finding recipes on my “regular” food blogs that I can eat without modifying. It makes me feel a little less sad about missing out on two of my favorite food groups! 🙂
I love finding fun new non-basil pestos! The.Boy actually isn’t big on basil pesto, so I can’t wait to try this out on him!