This easy recipe for gluten free homemade walnut pesto is a simple way to use fresh basil. This sauce is made without pine nuts and makes a great pasta sauce! I tell you how to make this flavorful, healthy topping in my recipe.
I love pesto all the time, but homemade pesto is at a whole other level. It is so full of flavor and easy to make. I grew Italian basil, Genovese basil and Mammoth basil in my garden this year. The Italian basil and Genovese basil plants are very similar. The Mammoth basil is a lighter green plant with large crinkly leaves. The flavor of all three plants is amazing.
I store some of the basil I make in a jar in the refrigerator for use in the next two weeks. The rest of the basil I place 1-2 cups in freezer safe containers and freeze. You can also freeze the basil in ice cube trays to have a small quantity to add to your winter soups.
You can use this pesto in my Air Fryer Pesto Baby Potatoes, my Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Soup, or my Gluten Free Pesto Pasta Salad.
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Ingredients
Basil
Garlic
Olive Oil
Avocado Oil
Walnuts
Parmesan Cheese
Sea Salt
Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Remove the basil leaves from the stems. Discard the stems.
In your food processor add all the ingredients. Pulse until a creamy sauce has formed.
Taste your sauce. Depending on the moisture level in the basil and the type of parmesan you are using you may need to add a bit more oil, salt or cheese. If it's too dry add a bit more oil.
If you add ingredients pulse the pesto until it's combined.
Store the pesto in a jar in your refrigerator, place it in a freezer safe container and freeze or place in ice cube trays to freeze into small portions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I like to use either walnuts for pine nuts in my pesto. You can substitute one for another in recipes. If I'm making a change to recipes I like to start with a smaller amount and then add more until I get the desired flavor. Pine nuts can have a richer flavor and may take less in a recipe.
It's so easy! I pick fresh basil from my garden, but you can also use basil that you've purchased. I remove the coarse stems and use the leaves in the pesto recipe. In a food processor I combine the ingredients and pulse until I get a nice creamy sauce.
At this point I taste the pesto to make sure there is enough salt and oil. If the leaves have less moisture you may need a bit more oil to get the right consistency. Also, depending on how salty your cheese is you may need a bit more salt.
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Gluten Free Homemade Walnut Pesto
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy recipe for gluten free homemade walnut pesto is a simple way to use fresh basil. This sauce is made without pine nuts and makes a great pasta sauce! I tell you how to make this flavorful, healthy topping in my recipe.
Ingredients
4 cups Basil Leaves, loosely packed
3 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
½ cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Avocado Oil
½ cup Walnuts, chopped
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 tsp. Sea Salt
½ tsp. Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Remove the basil leaves from the stems. Discard the stems.
In your food processor add all the ingredients. Pulse until a creamy sauce has formed.
Taste your sauce. Depending on the moisture level in the basil and the type of parmesan you are using you may need to add a bit more oil, salt or cheese. If it's too dry add a bit more oil.
If you add ingredients pulse the pesto until it's combined.
Store the pesto in a jar in your refrigerator, place it in a freezer safe container and freeze or place in ice cube trays to freeze into small portions.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
