No fuss Italian-style Basil Walnut Pesto recipe with walnuts, olive oil and cilantro (known as pesto basilico). This creamy basil pesto recipe is perfect for salads, toasts, wraps and pasta. It’s plant-based (no cheese) and can be made with or without nuts.
Let’s be honest—no shop-bought pesto stands a chance against a bowl of fresh, homemade basil pesto. At least not in our house. Whipping it up from scratch is one of those little kitchen rituals that instantly transforms anything—salads, wraps, roast chicken, a bowl of pasta… you name it.
And if you’re lucky enough to be somewhere where the tomatoes are sun-ripened and bursting with flavor – please, do yourself a favor and spoon some of that pesto over a plate of juicy tomatoes (the pinker, the better), drizzle with olive oil, and scatter a few baby mozzarella balls over the top—just like we did here. It’s summer on a plate, and the most heavenly little European salad you’ll ever taste.
Behind the Bites
Pesto has been around for ages—we’re talking all the way back to Roman times, when home cooks would mash up herbs (whatever they had on hand—basil, parsley, you name it) with garlic and cheese. Fast forward a few centuries, and we arrive in Liguria, home of the beautifully fragrant pesto alla Genovese—the classic basil version we all know and love today.
Like all good recipes, it evolved. In the mid-1800s, an Italian chef named Giovanni Battista Ratto popped a version into his cookbook La Cuciniera Genovese, featuring basil, walnuts, and even Dutch cheese (which I was told was all the rage at the time). Thanks to travelling merchants and Italian families bringing their kitchen secrets abroad, pesto spread its wings—and by the 20th century, it was twirling around pasta bowls all over the world.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Fresh Basil – the main ingredient in today’s recipe is fresh basil (tastes best if organic). If you want you can prepare this recipe with parsley as well.
- Fresh Cilantro leaves – adds extra depth in flavor.
- Spring Onion – creates additional sharpness and ground flavor. Shallots work too.
- Walnuts – one way to go is to add walnuts to the basil pesto. However, you can substitute cashews, hazelnuts or almonds. If you prefer, leave nuts out or supplement tahini paste instead.
- Garlic – adds more sharpness and is healthy too. For a child-friendly version can be omitted.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil creates a bitter taste (sometimes, depends on brand), therefore you can change the type of oil used (to milder version – like cold pressed coconut oil).
- Salt – to taste, optional
- Lemon juice – from organic lemons
How to make Fresh Basil Pesto?
Preparing fresh basil pesto at home is rather easy, especially if you have a food processor on hand. Simply, wash and blend all ingredients and voila, pesto can be served.
How to use Basil Pesto?
- Add to salads – for example use with fresh pink tomatoes, baby mozzarella and drizzle some olive oil.
- Use as a dip in wraps to create deeper taste and moisture in between ‘dryer’ ingredients.
- Spread over the dough for a pizza (instead of tomato paste per se). Then top pizza with your favorite ingredients and bake in the oven. Or try this simple summer recipe for the baked Italian bruschetta-caprese-sandwich.
- Add to fresh pasta meals.
- Top over baked chicken/ turkey breast and serve with a warm side.
Basil Walnut Pesto (pesto basilico)
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil leaves, heaping
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, fresh
- 1/3 cup scallions, diced
- ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3-4 tbsp. olive oil, extra virgin (or more as needed to taste)
- 1/2 lemon, juice needed
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- First, wash all green ingredients (basil, cilantro and scallions) under cold water and chop roughly.
- Then, in a food processor, add walnuts and pulse until finely chopped.
- Next, add basil, cilantro, scallions), olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until well combined.
- Cool in the fridge for 10 minutes, then serve over salads, pasta, gnocchi or put into wraps and sandwiches. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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