Alt-pesto?

Have basil, garlic, parmesan, and pecorino but no pine nuts. What to do?

I like sunflower seeds and pistachios… chopped cashews will work too.

2 Likes

I was wondering about just leaving the nuts out altogether.

1 Like

I often do… it’ll be just fine.

1 Like

I use walnuts…

5 Likes

Nut allergy kiddo. I never add nuts or seeds.

But sometimes a bit of spinach makes its way in

1 Like

Just leave it out, and up the olive oil.

In fact, I think without the pine nuts (or nuts generally) pesto often has a cleaner, more verdant, taste.

2 Likes

Just leave them out. I agree with @ipsedixit that it tastes better without any nuts at all.

1 Like

Big fan of hazelnuts and/or walnuts here.

Walnuts or pistachios. Or no nuts.

1 Like

I like Walnuts in pesto, but you can leave out the nuts and just up the cheese a bit. Should taste pretty good.

Slivered almonds are a nice replacement.

You have likely made a call by now, but if not, I’d use a lesser amount of almonds (I can taste them otherwise) or hazelnuts or cashews (these are the mildest of all).

You can skip nuts, but the result will have a different taste and texture than pesto.

I ended up using the basil more as a vegetable by chopping it up and putting it in bay scallop risotto. But thanks for all the ideas!

4 Likes

I never have used pinenuts in pesto because of their expense and suspicious origins (China) but I do use walnuts and sometimes pistachios. We have seasonal neighbors who have a catering business in Cambridge, MA who frequently give us food in exchange for watering their garden and keeping an eye on their property their pesto is nut-free and I find it lacking in flavor.

I have used pine nuts from China for years and never had any issues.

I do buy condiments from China, but have never felt comfortable using more than a few teaspoons at a time.

I’m not sure that using less makes any difference.

1 Like

Sounds amazing, hope you enjoyed it!

Reduces risk from carcinogens. I’m a Stage 3 breast cancer survivor. 10 years of treatments were no fun…

1 Like