We’d Never Heard of White Pesto Until This 5-Ingredient Recipe From Giada De Laurentiis

And it's no-cook!

When you think of pesto, you probably think of the bright green, pine nut- and basil-packed sauce that you put on everything from pasta to pizza and even eggs. We know that fresh-tasting pesto is what we think of first, too. However, we were recently introduced to a new type of pesto thanks to celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis.

She posted her five-ingredient white pesto recipe on Instagram, and the video stopped us in our tracks because of the creamy sauce that resembled a rich Alfredo—but with no cooking. Five ingredients and the entire thing is made in a food processor? We’re interested.

At first, however, we were a little confused about the use of the name “pesto” since, as we mentioned, we’d normally consider pesto to be made with basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. However, De Laurentiis explained that the word pesto literally translates to “to crush” or “to pound,” so the only real stipulation when making a pesto is that the ingredients need to be crushed together. And, thanks to our handy food processor, in this recipe, they are.

How to Make Giada De Laurentiis' White Pesto

De Laurentiis’ white pesto sauce is made with toasted walnuts, ricotta, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, and salt. To make it, all you have to do is dump everything into a food processor and combine until smooth.

The full recipe can be found on “Giadzy,” De Laurentiis’ website, where she shares recipes and tips—as well as sells her product line, which now features pasta. Of course, the original recipe utilizes a Giadzy pasta (specifically the Manfredi Lunghi), but you can also use spaghetti noodles. De Laurentiis also says this pesto isn’t only meant for pasta, explaining it “would be excellent on crostini, pizza, or used as a bed of sauce underneath roasted or grilled veggies.”

It doesn’t get much easier than a creamy, cheesy sauce that doesn’t require any stovetop cooking. So, next time you’re looking for an Alfredo-like sauce, but don’t have the time to let it thicken, give De Larurentiis’ white pesto a try.

While it doesn’t have the same exact flavor as an Alfredo sauce (it’s a bit nuttier), it does give off the same vibe thanks to the creamy texture and Parmesan cheese. Also, be advised if you’re not using the pesto as a pasta sauce—and therefore not adding pasta water—you might want to add more oil or even a splash of regular water to loosen the sauce up and keep it creamy.

Now that we know making pesto doesn’t just have to mean using up your wilting fresh basil leaves, we can’t wait to continue trying more creamy, “crushed” sauces.