Fermented Nut-Free Pesto (+3 recipes!) (2024)

FAQs

What is the best substitute for pine nuts in pesto? ›

Almonds. My personal favorite, almonds make an excellent substitute for pine nuts in pesto because of their mild, nutty flavor. I like to buy sliced, raw almonds and toast them myself in a pan on medium-low heat. Toasting almonds gives them a depth of flavor that makes just about any dish taste incredible.

You'll want to be mindful of the sodium content. Some jars have more than 500mg per serving and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend you eat no more than 2,300mg per day. It would be hard to stay within those guidelines if you get more than 20% of your sodium from pesto.

As a vegan ingredient darling and the prototypical cheese flavor alternative, nutritional yeast is a classic Parmesan substitute when making a dairy-free pesto. In many recipes, you'll find it used as a one-for-one swap for the grated cheese, with everything else in the formula staying the same.

Yes, you can make a delicious pesto without pine nuts or cheese. Pesto is a versatile sauce, and there are several alternatives to pine nuts and cheese that you can use to create a flavorful dairy-free and nut-free pesto.

Yes, you can make pesto sauce without pine nuts, and there are several delicious alternatives you can use. Pine nuts contribute a nutty flavor and texture to traditional pesto, but you can achieve similar results with various substitutions.

One of the main problems with pesto is that it is mostly eaten with pasta. That means that you'll be eating a meal that is both high in fat and high in carbohydrates, and that's not a great combination for people who are watching their weight.

As long as you don't have allergies, the ingredients used to make pesto are generally good for you. In fact, they may help reduce your blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and cancer risk. Homemade pesto is easy to make.

FODMAPs are found in foods such as garlic, onions, and nuts, which are commonly used in pesto. Consuming large amounts of FODMAPs can lead to digestive symptoms, such as bloating, gas, and stomach pain. Lactose intolerance: Some types of pesto contain cheese, which is a common source of lactose.

What Kind of Cheese Should I Use? I used fresh mozzarella because I love the way it melts, but you can use block or grated mozzarella in its place (that's usually more affordable as well). Other types of cheese that would work great with pesto are: smoked mozzarella, gruyere, swiss, brie, or white cheddar.

Pesto Sauce

This fresh and fragrant pasta sauce is served uncooked, so choose a pasta shape that won't overwhelm it. Similar to oil-based sauces, pesto is served best with longer cuts of pasta, like the corkscrew shape of Fusilli. Pesto works best with Bucatini, Capellini, thinner Spaghettini, and Fettuccine.

Can I use Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan in pesto? ›

So, once again, if you can find the Fiore Sardo, it will make a marginally better pesto sauce, but Pecorino Romano makes a darned good one, too (and, frankly, Parmigiano-Reggiano alone makes a great one as well).

Drain and dry the basil in a salad spinner or on clean kitchen towels. Place the EVOO in the food processor and add the basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino-Romano, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic and some salt and pepper. Pulse process into a fine sauce. Store in an airtight container.

Italian pine nuts are considered the finest in the world and are therefore eye-wateringly expensive. To make cost savings, many big producers source their pine nuts from China. Not a big issue, you might think, but these pine nuts are notorious for leaving a metallic aftertaste for some people, and that can last weeks.

Cashews: Cashews are a popular choice as they have a mild flavor and a creamy texture that works well in pesto. Almonds: Almonds can add a nice crunch and slightly nutty flavor to the pesto.

This pesto recipe uses peanuts instead of the traditional pine nuts, adding a unique toasty flavor. If you do not like or cannot eat peanuts, go ahead and substituted a different kind of nut, such as walnuts or almonds, or leave out the nuts entirely and add an extra tablespoon of parmesan cheese.

And while not EVERY SINGLE pesto has nuts (generally of the pine variety), to be safe I avoid it when I go out to eat or even the store-bought prepared versions.

Pine nuts, typical of Genoese pesto, are exchanged for cashews in our Pesto Rosso. Carrot purée pumps up the red-orange color, while also adding some subtle sweetness. Pesto Rosso has a saucy, spreadable texture that is great for topping a toasted baguette, or a homemade pizza.