Pesto without nuts – Easy Recipe for Pistou:
Why am I making pesto? Well, it’s that time of year. I have a full maternity ward of greenish tomatoes which appear to be heading for delivery at the same time. I have a marrow plant which, like some seedy London nightclub on a Friday night, has male flowers queuing up but not a single woman. And I have basil overwhelming my herb pot, shading the sun-loving rosemary – so what better than a fresh basil pesto. Pesto is a great way to use up a surplus of basil, especially as it can be frozen and used through the winter and this recipe for a nut-free pesto means that I have no need for the one ingredient I don’t generally have in my store cupboard (pine nuts). Apparently, nut-free pesto is standard across Italy except in Liguria and, in France, it is known as Pistou and also generally made without nuts.
All you need is fresh basil, parmesan or pecorino cheese, good quality extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Oh, and if like me you don’t often use a food processor or you prefer to make your pesto by hand, the traditional Italian way, then you need a largish pestle and mortar too. The point of using the pestle and mortar is that you are much more in control of how your pesto is prepared. At least in my heart, crushing the basil leaves gently will release a subtler, delicate flavour. And, the texture of a hand prepared pesto is quite different.
Lighter than the traditional Ligurian pesto I learnt to make at the World Pesto Championships a couple of years ago, nut-free pesto makes the perfect complement for summer pasta dishes, as a topping for a home-made burger, for tomato bakes or, as I did last night, as a sauce to bake fish in the oven. If you do want to make a traditional basil pesto the method is almost exactly the same, you simply add the pine nuts with the garlic at the start of the process.
Nut-free pesto is ultra easy to make and of course, you do have the option of using a pestle and mortar or whizzing this up in your food processor. I’d recommend trying the pestle and mortar option at least once because your pesto will have more depth of flavour and a better texture. But, if I was making a huge quantity, I’d probably give in and use a food processor too, though I’d probably still use a stick or wand blender with a plastic tumbler rather than a ‘put the lot in and press a button’ type. I’ve experienced the pesto from one of those and it’s more of a slurry than I like (or perhaps it was over processed?)
Here’s what to do.
- 70 g (3 cups) fresh basil leaves
- 40 g grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
- 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
- pinch salt
- 3 cloves garlic
- squeeze lemon juice (optional)
- Tear the basil into smallish shreds
- Put the peeled garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar with the salt and crush until you have a paste.
- Add the basil leaves in batches, crushing with the pestle until all the leaves are well blended with the garlic and salt and you have a paste.
- Add the grated cheese and mix
- Now pour over a little olive oil and blend well, using the base of the pestle.
- Continue adding olive oil until you have a thick 'sauce' of the desired consistency
- Taste and add more salt if necessary and a little lemon juice if desired.
Once you’ve made a batch of pesto it will keep in the fridge for a week or so. But, you can easily freeze it in an ice-cube tray, ready to use throughout the winter. Nut-free pesto is bursting with the flavours of summer, somehow not adding pine nuts creates a really fresh pesto – and it’s a great way to use up that glut of basil.
Thinking of trying my easy no nut pesto recipe yourself? Why not pin this post for later
A lovely recipe
Thanks. So easy for summer
What a great idea! Especially for people with nut allergies!
I was surprised by how good it was – but I tasted an excellent nut free pesto on an Italian stall at the local farmers’ market – along with some wonderful olive oil. Talking to the guys who run the stall was how I discovered that the use of pine nuts is an exclusively Ligurian one.
You had me crying with laughter at ‘I have a marrow plant which, like some seedy London nightclub on a Friday night, has male flowers queuing up but not a single woman’
And it’s true!!!! you need the boys – but the babies come from the girls!!!!!
Ooooh, that looks delish! I can almost smell the basil off my computer screen. 🙂
I’d never have thought of making pesto without any nuts. Kudos to you for trying it out, and so beautifully at that.
It’s really easy – and a great way to use up that basil plant you bought which is going to seed in the corner
Your basil looks like it’s doing crazily well, especially impressive given the dry weather! I love pistou! I love pinenuts but not convinced they are really needed, the freshness of the herbs with the cheese is usually enough!
I use upsidedown plastic bottles with spikes filled with water to keep everything going. It’s a very smart way to make sure you don’t waste water. You can buy the spikes on amazon, or just punch a hole in the cap of the bottle
That does look delish. How long do you have to bash it in the mortar?
Great for my kids nut free lunchboxes
Sounds great over fresh tomatoes
It is indeed! I am growing my own tomatoes too – delicious
I have to admit, I’ve never actually made pesto before – let alone nut-free pesto, but it looks so easy and delicious, I’ll have to give it a try x
This sounds lovely but I think I would miss the pine nuts they make a pesto for me!
Try it and see – I was quite surprised…
I do love pesto but I never tried it without the pine nuts. I do like them quite a lot. When I was in Liguria I have tried the walnut pesto as well, which was so delicious, I’ve never tasted anything like it.
I’ve got the walnuts ready to try a walnut pesto. I did make a cobnut one – you can find the recipe on the blog
oh yum! I love pesto, but haven’t thought to make it myself. I love that the ingredients are so simple and natural – lovely!
This looks amazing! I was just thinking about making some pesto pasta soon. My hubby, who doesn’t like eating nuts, would find this as a perfect substitute.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I an not a real fan of pesto with nuts so now I have an alternative. Love to read your writing too.
I have never tried to make my own pesto and it looks fairly easy
Love making my own stuff from scratch, so much more satisfying, was reading the comments and what a good idea with the upside down water bottles
I really need to try making my own pesto as I always have stacks of basil! This looks really nommy and I like the idea of it being nut free.
Oooh crikey, love pesto, this looks great
This is such a good idea as I’m not supposed to eat pine nuts (something about them being bad for underactive thyroid) so am looking forward to trying this nut-free version
oh I didn’t know that – and I do have an underactive thyroid too
Great for using up the masses of basil I seem to have at the moment too- and will give more flavour to bland but healty fish dishes.
that’s so true – I loved it as a topping for baked salmon
I only tried pesto a few months ago and I wasn’t keen on it but it could of been the dish itself. I also had no idea that pesto had nuts in haha
How lovely you have so many ingredients growing n your garden! Even the seedy marrows haha. I love pesto but have never tried making my own, I’ll have to now I know how easy it is.
This looks so yummy, I am a huge fan of pesto and it’s easier to make than most people think, it makes a great accompaniment of pasta I think 🙂
looks delicious
This is delicious ☺
I’m so glad you posted this. I used to used the food processor to make pesto, but once i tried using a mortar and pestle, i haven’t pulled out the processor since. The resulting texture is far superior to the food processed version. Yours looks delicious!
It really does make a difference doesn’t it!
I wish I have a green thumb like you! I love fresh herbs and this nut-free pesto is a keeper. It goes well with almost everything!
Oh what a great recipe for pesto for those with nut allergies. I don’t always have nuts available for fresh pesto so this is a great option.
So simple, yet looks so tasty!
Pinned to pinterest to try later! Looks great
Looks like a great recipe
Always great to have a recipe like this one on hand – thank you.
Fantastic recipe