This Basil Pesto with Almonds comes together in minutes and only requires a few common ingredients. It’s a fantastic condiment that can be used in a variety of ways.
Pesto is sooo good. I use it in pasta dishes, on chicken, on seafood, or even as a spread on sandwiches.
You can usually find some pretty tasty prepared pesto at just about any grocery store. But, it’s just as easy to make it yourself. And, when you do that, you can play around with the ingredients.
In this recipe, I switched out the pine nuts (which are traditionally used in pesto recipes) for almonds. Just about any nut will work, really. I just like the idea of using almonds because I almost always have almonds on hand. But, I almost never have pine nuts on hand.
To make this recipe, simply add fresh basil, almonds, parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Process until the ingredients are broken down. Then, as the processor is on, slowly drizzle in some olive oil. It’s ready in minutes.
The almonds give this pesto great flavor and they also retain just a little bit of their crunch giving it a great texture too.
Try this pesto in my Chicken Pesto Pasta.
Basil Pesto with Almonds Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves from about 3 oz. fresh basil
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, add the basil, almonds, parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper. Turn on the processor for about 15 seconds to break down the ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the processor.
- Turn the processor on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until well combined.
- Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Allergy Friendly Eats says
These photos are gorgeous! Sounds yummy!
Rebecca says
This sounds like a great recipe. I have rarely met a basil pesto I did not like. I have a question: should the almonds be raw or toasted? Thanks!
Bilbo says
I always thought you had to use pine nuts, but I made it with cashews a few weeks ago and it was great. About to try it with almonds as it’s all I’ve got in the cupboard.
Daniel says
I used raw. If you don’t want the skin, soak it in water for 30 minutes and you can easily take the brown off.
Mary Jones says
I toasted them for 10 minutes on 350.
Worked perfectly!
Lucy says
Awesome! I added it to penne pasta, crispy mushrooms sautéed in evoo, and chicken breasts. I also added a splash of lemon juice and crushed red pepper flakes for a kick. Love it!
Lesley says
How long does it last it the refrigerator?
David Hess says
First time I made pesto with my basil, awesome! Toasted the almonds, just the right taste.great recipe
Mel says
This is just amazing! I’m looking forward to adding it to my zucchini noodles tonight!!!
anna says
Was delicious, needed big squeeze of lemon juice too though!
Lindsay says
This turned out great! I used two cups of fresh basil from my plant and a cup of organic kale! Tonight I topped my eggplant with it and I’m going to try it on spaghetti squash and zucchini noodles next! I also added half a lemon.
Winni says
Works perfectly every time 😀👍
Lee says
This was so easy and delicious on whole grain pasta! I, too, always have almonds and don’t like to spend the money on pine nuts. I prefer to use roasted nuts and I have made pesto with roasted walnuts as well and it was good too. Thanks for the quick and easy recipe!
Jessica R. says
This recipe is fantastic! I wanted to thank you for it. I’m not the hugest fan of pine nut pesto, and I always have almonds on hand, so this recipe is perfect for me. Believe it or not, I just made a QUADRUPLE recipe (I had a ton of Basil), and I”m planning on freezing the pesto in cute jars and handing them out at Christmas time as hostess gifts! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
p.s. Sometimes I sub about a quarter or third of the almonds with pistachios — either way it’s delish!