Can I be honest? I have been meaning to share my basil and walnut pesto recipe for a while. I even took videos months ago to make a quick tutorial. Then life got away from me and suddenly fresh basil wasn’t in season. I had decided it should go on the back burner until summer arrived once more so the basil would be fresh and delicious once again.
But then I pulled a few cubes of pesto out of the freezer for dinner a few nights ago and everyone was excited. And at that moment, I decided that it was just time to share the recipe. I mean, it may not be quite as good, but you can still pick up fresh basil at the store and pesto is ALWAYS delicious.
We have two favorite ways of enjoying this basil and walnut pesto. I love a good cast iron cooked (or grilled) chicken breast. After the chicken has been flipped, I will spoon some pesto on the cooked side, allowing it to brown as the rest of the chicken cooks.
However, our favorite way is to cook up some pasta (any shape will do), drain it (reserving some of the pasta water), and add 2 frozen portions of pesto with my preserved roasted tomatoes. I use the pasta water to get the consistency of the pesto as a “sauce” just right. So good and simple.
Ready to prepare your own pesto? Let’s go!
Your Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil (washed and dried)
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Your Steps to Basil and Walnut Pesto
Combine garlic and walnuts in a food processor. Process for 15-30 seconds. Add the basil. Process 15 seconds more. Then SLOWLY add in the olive oil, processing the entire time until the pesto is pureed. Add the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper and puree for 60 seconds.
Use right away or freeze to use all year long! I love to use a silicone herb freezer tray to keep the air off the herbs. Once frozen, I transfer it to a freezer bag and label. When you’re ready to use them, remove them from the freezer and thaw for 30-45 seconds in the microwave. Be mindful that you don’t go too long in the microwave or the Parmesan cheese will start to melt.
Looking for other recipes to pair this with? Check out the fun ideas below or head right to my cooking page.
Tools of the Trade
You can’t put together a good pesto without a few tools. I usually use my food processor, but an immersion blender will work in a pinch too! I also really love these silicon trays for freezing and saving for later! Check them out!
Basil and Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil washed and dried
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine garlic and walnuts in a food processor. Process for 15-30 seconds. Add the basil.
- Process 15 seconds more. Then SLOWLY add in the olive oil, processing the entire time until the pesto is pureed.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper and puree for 60 seconds.
- Use right away or freeze to use all year long.
- Portion into a silicone herb freezer tray to keep the air off the herbs.
- Once frozen, transfer it to a freezer bag and label. When you’re ready to use them, remove them from the freezer and thaw for 30-45 seconds in the microwave.
