The Best Pesto Recipe With Walnuts

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This Basil Walnut Pesto is one of those recipes I stand behind completely—it’s simple, reliable, and packed with flavor. Born out of necessity (my garden was OVERRUN with basil), I’ve made it more times than I can count, and I’ve figured out the perfect ratio of nuts to cheese to basil.

And pine nuts? We don’t know her. They’re too expensive and I never have them on hand. Toasted walnuts are the perfect accessible and budget-friendly option, and taste SO GOOD in this pesto sauce–I’m talking eyes closed, saying “mmmm” to yourself, good.

I’ve worked this recipe so you can have fresh, homemade pesto in under 15 minutes, and it makes plenty for a pot of pasta—and sneaking straight from the spoon.

What is Pesto?

Pesto is a sauce made with basil, nuts (usually pine nuts), parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil. Traditionally, it’s made by crushing the ingredients in a mortar & pestle to create a paste, but these days you can make fresh pesto sauce in seconds using a food processor or blender.

Ingredients For This Walnut Pesto Recipe

Pesto only requires a few simple ingredients, but make sure they’re fresh for the best flavor!

• Fresh basil leaves – washed, dried, and stems removed. A few stems are ok, but don’t add much flavor.
• Walnut halves – toasted and cooled. Toast your own walnuts by adding the walnuts to a dry skillet in a single layer and cooking over medium heat until the walnuts are browned and smell nutty. You can also purchase roasted walnuts.
• Fresh garlic cloves – cut into chunks. Keep in mind, fresh garlic can be a little spicy when it’s not cooked. The recipe calls for two cloves for a mild pesto, but if you’re a garlic lover, add a third clove for extra bite (and to keep vampires at bay).
• Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese blend – grated. I find it necessary to blend in some Pecorino Romano with the Parmesan cheese. Parmesan alone can get lost against the basil and garlic, but Pecorino adds that bold, cheesy, nutty flavor to the pesto. I buy a premixed blend at the grocery store.
• Extra virgin olive oil -I like a good, fruity, extra virgin olive oil. I gravitate towards the kind I’d serve for bread dipping, instead of a cooking oil. This is a good opportunity to use those fancy oils you’ve been eyeing at Williams Sonoma or your cutesy kitchen store.
• Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice will give your pesto a bright flavor, and it helps keep the basil green! Don’t worry, it won’t taste like lemon.
• Coarse Kosher salt + black pepper– old reliables. Just a little bit is needed to balance out all the ingredients.

Equipment Needed:

A food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender works too. Just chop the nuts finer in the beginning so all the blender’s energy will be on processing the basil.

How to Make Pesto With Walnuts

Fresh pesto is quite possibly one of the simplest recipes you might ever make! Full recipe and step-by-step instructions are on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step 1. 

Pulse the garlic and toasted walnuts in your food processor until they are pea sized, but not fully ground.

Step 2.

Add the basil leaves, salt, pepper, and grated cheese. Pulse until the basil is finely chopped.

Step 3.

Slowly pour in the oil while the food processor is running. Process the pesto until it just reaches the consistency you like. You can add a little more oil if you want a runnier sauce.

Stop and scrape down the sides of the processor bowl. Add the lemon juice and pulse a few more times just to incorporate the lemon and finish pulverizing the last of the basil leaves. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for later use!

Tips For The Perfect Walnut Pesto

• Make sure the walnuts are toasted and completely cooled before adding to the pesto. Untoasted walnuts dull the flavor, and hot walnuts will melt the Parmesan!
• The order of blending matters! Adding the basil as one of the last ingredients will help keep the pesto bright green and keep the basil from getting bruised and bitter from over-processing. 
• Vegetarian tip: Use a pecorino cheese made with vegetable rennet instead of animal rennet.
• I recommend a good quality extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.

How To Store Homemade Pesto

Store extra or leftover pesto in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can press a piece of plastic wrap directly to the top of the pesto and smooth it out before sealing with the lid. This will help keep air from coming into contact with the pesto and slow oxidation.

The color will remain bright green, but will start to oxidize after 4-5 days–it’s still totally fine to eat.

Can I Freeze Homemade Pesto? 

Yes! Scoop the pesto into an airtight container or a freezer-safe baggie. When you’re ready, thaw in the fridge and give it a good stir before using. If you want to get fancy, divide the pesto into a silicone ice cube tray—perfect for popping out a cube or two into soups, sauces, or anything else.

Substitutions and Variations

• Swap the walnuts for toasted almonds or cashews.
• Add extra herbs like parsley or oregano (just a little) for extra freshness.
• If you want a bigger lemony flavor, add some lemon zest to the pesto.
• Pesto can be made with all sorts of greens, including baby spinach, baby kale, and arugula.
• Use roasted garlic in place of raw to cut down the spice and give the pesto a sweeter flavor.

Delicious Recipes To Make With Walnut Pesto

There are so many delicious ways to use pesto—spread it on sandwiches, use it as a dip, or stir it into your favorite recipes for a extra flavor!

• Italian Pasta Salad – Mix some pesto with the Italian dressing before adding it to your pasta salad.
• Soups: Add a dollop of pesto to my easy minestrone soup recipe or chicken tortellini soup – for the perfect final touch.
• Easy Alfredo Sauce – Add a little more flavor to an already delicious sauce for pasta night!
• Chicken Alfredo Bake – If you’re using store-bought Alfredo, adding a little pesto to the sauce will give it an extra “from scratch” flavor. And pesto and broccoli are perfect together!
• Baked Meatballs – Add some pesto in with your ground meat before shaping and cooking your meatballs. You won’t believe the flavor!
• Cauliflower Pizza– Add a few spoonfuls of pesto on top of the pizza before or after baking.
• Turkey Pinwheels – Use the pesto as a sandwich spread to add a ton of flavor.

More Dips, Spreads, and Sauces

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