An Italian-inspired savory green herb sauce with notes of lemon and garlic. Use on pasta, pizza, and vegetables.
Course sauces
Cuisine Italian, vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Total Time 5 minutesminutes
Servings 0.75cup
Calories 431kcal
Author Stephanie McKercher, RDN
Equipment
blender or food processor
Ingredients
1cupfresh basil leaves
½cupbaby spinach
¼cupfresh parsley leaves
¼cupchopped walnuts
¼cupfreshly grated parmesan cheese(see note)
1tablespoonminced garlic(about 3 cloves)
1teaspoongrated lemon peel(optional)
2tablespoonslemon juice
¼teaspoonsaltor to taste
⅛teaspoonpepperor to taste
½cupextra virgin olive oilor as needed to thin out the sauce
Instructions
Add basil, spinach, parsley, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil to a blender or food processor.
Blend or process until desired consistency is reached, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed. Blend less for a thick and chunky pesto and more for a smooth and creamy pesto. If the pesto is too thick or isn't mixing together well, add more olive oil and blend again.
Notes
Not all parmesan cheese is vegetarian. If this is important to you, be sure to use a parmesan cheese that is made with non-animal rennet. One brand that uses non-animal rennet (according to their website) is Belgioioso.I recommend buying a block/wedge of parmesan cheese and grating it yourself with a grater or microplane. It will result in better texture and is also usually more cost effective.Storage: Store prepared pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.