Walnut Pesto Recipe

There are many tasty variations of traditional pesto. For a twist, try this walnut pesto recipe. You will love the nutty flavor that the walnuts add, and toasting them before using them in this recipe really brings out their nutty flavor. If you are looking for a traditional recipe, refer to the section just below the recipe ... but at least give this one a try ... it might surprise you.

If you read the About Us page of BasilBasics, you know that I took over this site because of my experiences growing up with my grandfather's antics with basil. Well, those same antics caused us to give this recipe a try. You see, whenever we had a meal over my grandparent's house, the meal never ended without walnuts being eaten at the end (for digestion of course!), which included shucking the walnuts from the shells just prior to the meal ... in hindsight, you don't think it was just to keep us busy, do you? Anyway, give this a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup toasted walnuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Add all ingredients except olive oil to a food processor or blender. Blend well. With the blender running, stream in the olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Use right away, refrigerate for 3 days or freeze.

If freezing, do not add the garlic or cheese until you have defrosted the pesto and are ready to use.

Sauce & Marinade

Here are a few more sauce and marinade recipes to consider. If you are looking for a more traditional pesto, or other variations on the pesto theme, you will find a selection of recipes below.

Basil Dressing	Flavored Mayonnaise (Basil Mango)
Parsley Basil Salad Dressing	Basil Infused Olive Oil
Basil Butter	Classic Basil Pesto
Basil Lemon Salad Dressing and Marinade	Basil Cream Sauce
Basil Shallot Mustard	Basil Paste
Presto Pesto	Spinach Basil Pesto

Dried Herb Recipes

If you are looking for something to spice up your meals, you might want to give these dried herb mixes a try.

Bouquet Garni Recipe Herbes de Provence Pasta Blend

Vegetable Seasoning Italian Seasoning Recipe

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