Fermented Nut-Free Pesto (+3 recipes!) (2024)

FAQs

What is the best substitute for pine nuts in pesto? ›

Macadamia nuts are a great alternative to pine nuts because they have a similar texture, color, and flavor. Macadamia nuts offer a creamy, buttery flavor that is incredible in pesto.

While you are certainly welcome to add your favorite hard cheese to this pesto recipe, I find that it is perfectly delicious without it. If you can't find vegetarian parmesan, other potential options include pecorino romano, grana padano, or asiago. Even an aged cheddar could do the trick!

Try Other Nuts or Even Seeds in Place of Pine Nuts

Pistachios, almonds, and walnuts or even seeds like sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin can replace the traditional pine nuts in pesto. Pretty much any edible nut tastes delicious—just make sure to toast and cool the nut before grinding them into the sauce.

Classic basil pesto sauce is made with pine nuts, but there are some alternative ways to make pesto without nuts that we cover in this article. What can I use instead of nuts in pesto? Sunflower seeds and toasted pumpkin seeds are good substitutes for pine nuts in pesto.

Because its ingredients include olive oil, nuts, and cheese, pesto can be high in calories and fat. However, the fat is primarily unsaturated and may have heart health benefits. Pesto is also full of antioxidants that can help protect your cells from damage.

Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan cheese; we often use Romano which has a stronger flavor. Basil pesto recipes often call for pine nuts, but you can easily substitute walnuts.

So, once again, if you can find the Fiore Sardo, it will make a marginally better pesto sauce, but Pecorino Romano makes a darned good one, too (and, frankly, Parmigiano-Reggiano alone makes a great one as well).

Pesto Sauce

This fresh and fragrant pasta sauce is served uncooked, so choose a pasta shape that won't overwhelm it. Similar to oil-based sauces, pesto is served best with longer cuts of pasta, like the corkscrew shape of Fusilli. Pesto works best with Bucatini, Capellini, thinner Spaghettini, and Fettuccine.

Why is my homemade pesto turning brown? ›

The cause of pesto turning brown, or grey is usually because the herbs have started oxidising. The best way to slow that process is to reduce the amount of time the sauce is exposed to air.

Cashews. Cashews resemble pine nuts in color, texture and mild sweetness, and can be used as a substitute in just about any recipe. Stick to unsalted versions (roasted or raw varieties both work), and toast them to provide extra depth of flavor.

Diforti's Basil Pesto is vegetarian and nut-free, making it easy for everyone to enjoy it.

Many pesto recipes call for raw pine nuts, but toasting the nuts can make the final sauce's flavor deeper and richer. Toast the nuts and then combine them—either as a paste or whole—with fresh basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic.

So don't splurge on pine nuts if you don't want to, just use walnuts and it will be great! Walnuts are a perfect substitute for pine nuts in pesto because walnuts blend up perfectly. They have a similar fat content as pine nuts, so they blend to a creamy consistency.

The best substitute for pine nuts? Chopped cashews. Cashews have a lightly sweet flavor and soft texture that mimics pine nuts rather well. Chop them down into roughly the size of pine nuts, about 1/2-inch long pieces.

Cashew for their creamy texture, and almonds for their flavour. The pesto turned out great, taking on some different flavours from the nuts, but still providing the classic flavour thanks to an abundance of basil, parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon.

Pine nut seeds are traditionally used in pesto and are delicious, but they are expensive. If desired, substitute the pine nuts for nuts such as walnuts, pecans or almonds.