The Secret Ingredient That Makes Pesto Even Better

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: pecorino cheese

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and adds a cheesy flavor.

pistachios

🥗Healthier: walnuts

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Walnuts are nutritious and sunflower seeds are cost-effective.

Start by preparing the pistachios, using 50 grams as a replacement for pine nuts.

Use 3 tablespoons of pecorino Romano cheese instead of parmesan cheese.

Crush 1 garlic clove and mix it with extra virgin olive oil.

Harvest fresh basil from your garden or buy it from the market, ensuring it's clean and free of insects.

Soak the basil in a bowl of water to wash it, then remove each leaf by hand, discarding any bad leaves.

Dry the basil gently with a kitchen towel, being careful not to press too hard to retain flavors.

Blend the garlic and olive oil mixture with the pistachios in a blender, adding the basil gradually to avoid overheating it.

Blend the mixture for about 20 seconds, ensuring not to overheat the basil.

Add 3 tablespoons of pecorino Romano cheese and a little salt, blending until combined.

If the pesto is too dry, add more extra virgin olive oil to achieve the desired consistency.

Scrape down the sides of the blender to incorporate all ingredients, blending until smooth.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens