Walnut Pesto

5 from 1 vote

This Walnut Pesto recipe is bright, creamy, and deliciously savory. Made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, Parmesan, and Pecorino Romano, and of course, walnuts, this easy pesto recipe is made quickly in a blender or food processor and is a versatile pantry recipe that can liven up any pasta, pizza, sandwich, or vegetable.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dinner, Main, Pantry

Cuisine: Italian Inspired, north american

Keyword: easy pesto recipe, how to make pesto, pasta, pasta dinner ideas

Servings: servings

Calories: 186kcal

Author: Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai

Ingredients

2 ½ cups basil
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated and tightly packed
⅓ cup walnuts shelled and halved
3 tablespoon Pecorino Romano grated and tightly packed
2 cloves garlic
½ cup olive oil extra virgin
salt to taste

Instructions

Place the basil, parmesan, walnuts, pecorino, and garlic in the container of your blender or food processor.
Pulse the blender about 6-8 times, just for a couple of seconds to get a fine chop on the ingredients. Don’t blend for a sustained time, otherwise, the basil can bruise and turn brown.
While pulsing on and off, slowly pour in the olive oil. Continue to pulse until the pesto is thick and bright green, and all the ingredients are finely chopped. (See note)
Taste the pesto and season with salt to your liking. Start with a small pinch and add more as you prefer. Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge or freezer.

Video

Notes

Scroll up to view a visual walkthrough of the recipe.

If you love this walnut pesto recipe, try our other pasta recipes like our One-Pot Gnocchi with Creamy Lemon Sauce and Basil, Traditional Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, Creamy Baked Gnocchi with Spicy Vodka Sauce, or our Homemade Beefaroni.

Chill your tools: To help ensure that the basil doesn’t oxidize and turn brown, place your blender container or food processor in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before making your pesto.

Wash basil and keep it cold: Wash the basil with cold water and dry it completely by gently dabbing it with a cloth or by using a salad spinner. You can go a step further by placing the basil in a bowl set over ice.

Chill ingredients after prepping: After grating the Parmesan and chopping the Pecorino, place them in the fridge. You can also place the olive oil in the fridge but only for 10-15 minutes so it doesn’t solidify.

Note for Step 3: If your blender or food processor doesn’t have an opening to pour in the oil while blending, then add half the oil, pulse until combined, then add the remaining.

Storing Pesto: Pesto will last 3-4 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. If there is oxidization (the pesto is brown on top) you can stir it in or scoop off the top if you prefer.

Freezing Pesto: Use an ice cube tray to freeze pesto in small portions, then store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 6 months. Freezing pesto in small portions makes it easy to add pesto to sauces, soups, and stews. It will also thaw more quickly vs. freezing in a larger batch.

Nutrition