This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy for details.
Almond basil pesto is easy and quick to make. It’s a great way to use basil leaves and a great way to preserve them (it freezes very well!).
Lady Lee’s Note…
You won’t find my summer garden without a row of basil! It’s a simple herb to grow, useful, beautiful, and if you let the plants flower, they will attract all the pollinators to your garden! I often (a.k.a, every summer) find myself with more basil than we can eat fresh, and so, I preserve it in the form of basil pesto. I’ll make as much as I can and freeze it so we can enjoy fresh basil pesto year-round. In order to reduce the cost, I replaced the traditional pine nuts with almonds. The result is both delicious and affordable!
Ingredients…
- Fresh basil leaves
- Garlic
- Almonds – you can use raw whole almonds or almond flour. Or you can try roasted almonds.
- Parmesan cheese – feel free to try other hard cheeses (I sometimes use Asiago cheese)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
Step-By-Step Instructions…
Step one – add to the food processor. Wash and dry the basil leaves (I use a salad spinner). Add basil leaves, garlic, almonds (you can also use almond flour), parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and a little bit of the olive oil to the bowl of the food processor.
Step two – process. Turn the food processor on and process the ingredients. As the processor runs, gradually add more olive oil until the paste reaches your desired consistency.
How to Store…
Once your pesto is done, you can serve it right away, transfer it to a jar and store it in the fridge, or freeze it for later. Here are a few storage tips…
- Basil leaves oxidize (they turn black when coming in contact with air). It doesn’t mean that your pesto is bad, but it just doesn’t look too appetizing… In order to prevent this, leave some room at the top of your container, and cover the pesto with more olive oil (a thin layer will do).
- To freeze, you can use mason jars (I like the wide-mouth half-pint), but I like using 5.5 oz plastic containers. Another option is to freeze the pesto in silicone ice cube trays. After the pesto is frozen, you can place the cubes in a zip-lock bag and freeze as many cubes at a time as you’d like.
How to Serve…
- Tossed with pasta – stir pesto into hot pasta with a splash of pasta water to help it coat evenly. Add fresh vegetables if you like, or keep it simple.
- Spread on sandwiches or wraps – use it in place of mayo on sandwiches, wraps, or even a slice of crusty bread with fresh tomato.
- Drizzled over roasted vegetables – toss warm roasted vegetables with a spoonful of pesto for an easy, flavorful side.
- As a pizza base – spread pesto over pizza dough instead of red sauce, then add cheese and your favorite toppings.
This is a simple recipe that is delicious and easy to make. Pesto is a great use for basil leaves and a great way to preserve the summer flavors.
More Pesto Recipes…
Almond Basil Pesto Recipe
Very easy, quick, and healthy almond basil pesto.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw almonds (or 1/2 cup almond flour)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 6 cups fresh basil leaves (about 2 bunches)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup olive oil - or as much as you need to reach your desired consistency.
Instructions
- Add almonds, garlic, basil, parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and about half of the amount of olive oil to the bowl of the food processor.
- Turn the processor on and process. As it runs, add the rest of the oil and a bit more if you need to, until the paste reaches your desired consistency.
- Taste and correct seasonings. Transfer into jars or plastic containers and store in the fridge or freeze for later. Basil oxidizes (turns dark when it comes in contact with air), to prevent that, drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of the pesto before you close the jar.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 half-pint jarAmount Per Serving: Calories: 1001Total Fat: 102gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 82gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 747mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 5gSugar: 1gProtein: 15g
Can this recipe be canned? It looks like a delicious way to use up my basil. Also can I use purple basil? I grow it mostly to put in my lemonade, but I always have extra.
It can’t be canned but you can freeze it. And yes, I think that you can use purple basil.
Have you ever canned the pesto? They sell it in the stores?
I have never tried to can it. I usually freeze mine. But it’s definitely something that I should look into.
Lee
Thanks for this recipe – can’t wait to try it!
A cheese-maker friend of mine recommended adding a drop of calcium chloride to freshly made pesto as a way to prevent browning. I haven’t tried it yet but wanted to pass along the tip to others.
I have calcium chloride at hand for cheesemaking! Will definitely give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
Hi ,i like to try your recipe for the pesto. How much basil do You use?
Thanks.
Rits
I use enough basil leaves to fill the food processor all the way. Maybe two or three bunches. My basil is ready for harvest so I’ll be making pesto in the next few days. I’ll try to weight the leaves this time and add it to this post in case you want to check back in a few days.
My favorite chef (A.K.A. brother-in-law) told me you can make pesto out of anything green and nuts, but I have limited mine to basil, escarole (a little bitter, but great with pasta & tomatoes), hot peppers, bak choy, etc. Usually add parsley and walnuts, so I’m not sure why I didn’t think of roasting the nuts. Thanks
Just as a side note; one year I used compost from a local brewery for the basil and was able to fill my freezer with pesto from the three bushes.
Yes, anything. You can make parsley pesto, cilantro pesto, chard pesto… I even have here on the site carrot top pesto recipe made from the greens of the pesto. It came out so good!
Basil growing great even in poor soil as long as it has plenty of sunshine and water. I can imagine what will happen with a bit of compost.
Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, I make it the same way you do. I just add a bit of fresh lemonjuice for a “fresh” taste. It is great in winter to taste summer again.
Wendy
I grow basil to dry and to make pesto. I will try the almonds instead of pine nuts! Never thought to try that! Thanks for the tip!
You are welcome, it will save you a lot of money.