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close up of a bowl of basil almond pesto with almonds on the table, text overlay Basil Almond Pesto Recipe

Basil Almond Pesto Recipe

A delicious and easy pesto recipe that uses almonds in place of the traditional pine nuts!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Processing Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups basil leaves
  • ½ cup whole raw almonds
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt to start, add more if desired
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup good quality olive oil you will add this gradually and can adjust the amount to taste and desired thickness

Instructions
 

  • Place the basil leaves, parmesan cheese, almonds, salt and garlic cloves in a food processor.
  • Process the ingredients in the food processor until the almonds have broken down and you have a thickish paste.
  • While the food processor is spinning gradually add the olive oil, you can start with ¼ cup and process then stop and check the consistency. If you’d like a creamier or thinner pesto sauce, add the remaining ¼ cup for a total of ½ cup.
  • Once you have a consistency you like, taste the pesto and if needed adjust the salt if desired. 
  • Store the pesto in an air tight container until ready to use. I love storing it in a mason jar. It will keep fresh in the refrigerator for about one week or you could also freeze for later use.
Keyword basil, pasta
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