Easy Spinach-Walnut Pesto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are walnuts as good as pine nuts in pesto? ›

But you can take your pick of nuts -Pistachios, almonds, or (walnuts ) and 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.

Properly made pesto tastes fresh and zingy and balanced, not muddy. Each flavor component is identifiable—the fragrant basil, the pungent garlic, the buttery olive oil and sweet pine nuts, the tangy cheeses—and yet none dominates. Basil is the star, for sure, but its perfume works in balance with the other ingredients.

Almonds make an excellent pine nut substitute with their delicate, sweet–bitter taste and crunchy texture. Replace the pine nuts in your pesto recipe with the same amount of almonds. If you want to freshen things up and go for a different taste, try a mint–almond pesto made with lemon juice.

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.

It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Pesto can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. I suggest dividing it into the compartments of an ice cube tray and freezing.

FAQ: How Long Does Homemade Pesto Last? You can store this basil pesto in a jar or sealable container, then tightly seal and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2–3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid.

If your pesto taste bitter, it is probably your olive oil. Since olive oil is an integral ingredient, you must use a quality extra virgin olive oil. Overuse if a machine.

Anything sugary will work: granulated white sugar, honey, fruit juices, even sweet dessert wines. Acid in the form of vinegar or citrus juices can make a pesto taste less bitter and could even enhance the flavour of the sauce at the same time.

Cashews: Cashews are a popular choice as they have a mild flavor and a creamy texture that works well in pesto. Almonds: Almonds can add a nice crunch and slightly nutty flavor to the pesto.

Should I toast pine nuts for pesto? ›

Pine nuts are classically used in pesto and toasting them before you add them allows their flavor to shine. Looking for a great recipe? Try adding them to Food Network Kitchen's Basil Pesto recipe. They're also delicious tossed into any salad, such as this lemony Kale with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts salad.

Italian Cooking Class Using Walnuts

One of the dishes we made was handmade cavatelli pasta with handmade pesto. The chef said that you didn't need to use pine nuts, particularly since they are so expensive. You can use walnuts as a substitute.

How to Use Lemon Juice to Keep Pesto Green. Another way to prevent basil oxidation? Lower its pH with lemon juice. Browning happens most readily at neutral pH, so making the pesto's pH more acidic can help slow down this process.

The ice will shock the herbs and prevent them from browning.

It is the normal process of oxidation of basil. You can try to put more lemon juice and olive oil to prevent it, but my advice is to better freeze it! It will surely oxidize otherwise, when made fresh it is not really meant to be kept for a long time in the fridge.

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.

Pine nuts in pesto can easily be replaced by other nuts: walnuts, pistachios, almonds, and even sunflower seeds, are all a perfect pine nut replacement. You can even make your pesto based on otherwise wasted food, such as carrot greens.

While we love a classic pesto studded with pine nuts, these typically pricey nuts aren't required to make the delicious sauce. Here, eleven terrific recipes that use alternative nuts (or even no nuts at all!), including aromatic mint pesto and autumnal sage-walnut pesto.

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.