Hi Reader,

I learned to make pesto in a Northern Italian cooking course I took as part of my Culinary Arts certificate at George Brown College.

The instructor mentioned that while pine nuts are traditional, walnuts and cashews work just as well, which turned out to be very useful information.

Pine nuts have gotten really expensive over the years. At Costco right now, 1 kg costs $47.99, but walnut pieces from the same brand are only $16 for the same amount.

So I adapted my basil pesto recipe to use walnuts instead, and I'm happy to say that it tastes just as good (maybe even better?).

I do splurge on Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for this recipe, since it's an integral part of the flavour, but you only need 1/3 cup of grated cheese, so you'll have some of the wedge left over to use in other recipes.

This recipe comes together in 10 minutes and keeps in the fridge for up to a week. If you grow basil in your garden, this is also a great way to use up a big bunch of it before the season ends.

Basil Pesto with Walnuts

This homemade pesto is fresh, bright, and tastier than anything you'll find at the grocery store.

Cooking Tip! Pulse the food processor rather than running it continuously. It gives you more control over the texture and keeps the pesto from turning into a smooth paste.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Next week I'll be sharing one of my favourite ways to use pesto, so stay tuned :)

Have a great weekend,

⭐️ P.S. If you make any of my recipes, I'd appreciate it if you could leave a quick comment and star rating on the blog post. Your review will help others find and enjoy these recipes too!

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