11 Pine Nut-Free Pesto Recipes
© Helene Dujardin
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.
Mint Pesto
This refreshing pesto is made with parsley and mint leaves. It has a special affinity for being paired with lamb, but it can really be used with any meat or vegetable, just as you would its basil counterpart.
Walnut Pesto
Crushed red pepper adds heat to this terrific walnut pesto. Toss it with pasta or roasted vegetables, spread it on thickly sliced tomatoes and broil, or stuff it under the skin of a chicken before roasting.
Pistachio-Oregano Pesto
This delicious, easy pesto, made with roasted pistachios and fresh oregano, is perfect with roasted, grilled, or steamed fish.
Kale-Basil Pesto
Erin Kunkel
This fall-forward pesto bolsters traditional basil with lacinato kale for extra heartiness. Winemaker Clare Carver recommends choosing a mild, smooth extra-virgin olive oil here for a buttery richness that complements the toasted walnuts and balances the fresh garlic.
Spaghetti with Radish-Greens Pesto
© Con Poulos
This pesto marries salted pumpkin seeds with radish greens to make a super-fresh, flavorful sauce. You can also use beet or turnip greens.
Sage-Walnut Pesto Pasta
This lovely fall pesto combines fresh sage, parsley, and toasted walnuts. A garnish of fried sage leaves adds a nice herbal crunch.
Roasted Squash Wedges with Collard-Peanut Pesto
Oriana Koren
Blanching and shocking the collards preserves their vibrant color in this pesto and removes the greens' slight bitter edge. Use best-quality peanuts; their toasty, nutty flavor is the foundation of the creamy pesto.
Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomato-Almond Pesto
JOHN KERNICK
This Mediterranean dish from Philadelphia chef Marcie Turney is quick and utterly delicious. The pesto is a simple, satisfying blend of sun-dried tomatoes, roasted almonds, garlic, and olive oil.
Mafaldine with Pea Shoot-Meyer Lemon Pesto
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Fresh pea shoots, parsley, and dill make a verdant pesto balanced with salty ricotta salata cheese and nutty roasted sunflower seed kernels. The bright sauce clings beautifully to ruffled mafaldine pasta, but any textured pasta shape will work well.
Linguine with Frenched Green Beans and Parsley Pesto
Photo by Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson
In this classic recipe, 1988 F&W Best New Chef Johanne Killeen employs starchy pasta water to thicken her fresh, nut-free pesto into a sauce that clings to and flavors each strand of linguine, instead of pooling in the bowl.
Pesto alla Trapanese
Caitlin Bensel
This tomato-based no-cook sauce swaps almonds for pine nuts and comes together quickly with the help of a food processor. While basil is traditionally used, cookbook author Colu Henry likes to add mint and parsley for complexity.
