Who doesn’t love homemade pesto? Everybody loves it. But who wants to pay the price for pine nuts? Nobody, that’s who. Unless you’re willing to lay down a brick of gold bullion for the stuff you have to come up with an alternative. I submit to you a more affordable solution.
Almond Pesto
Two large handfuls of fresh basil
1 cup (approximately) sliced almonds
1/2 cup (or so) grated parmesan cheese
5 cloves of garlic
a squeeze from a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil.
Put everything in the food processor and stream in the olive oil while processing. I can’t tell you how much to put in because I never measure it out. Keep adding it until you reach a nice, spreadable consistency.
It’s so fresh and delicious. It’s great on pasta, yes. But it’s so versatile…toast it on french bread, spread it on a slice of tomato and top with a slice of mozzarella and drizzle balsamic vinegar, spread on a tortilla then top with shredded mozzarella and set under the broiler for a few seconds or use as a sandwich spread. The possibilities are endless.
Lynne Rossetto Kasper (and my mom) says to freeze it in ice cube trays so that you have it all winter long.
If you have a herb garden you probably already know all of this. If you don’t, call me. You can come and get some of my basil. I’ve got a bumper crop out there right now.
Julie
Thanks for the reminder; I keep meaning to do something with my basil but somehow I lose my motivation! Love the almond idea.
Micheal Jordan
I tried this almond pesto sauce recipe and it was delicious! It was so easy to make and it tasted amazing with pasta, chicken, and roasted vegetables. I love that it uses almonds instead of pine nuts, which are more expensive and harder to find.
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