Homemade Pesto Recipe with Frugal Variations (2024)

FAQs

How do you make pesto less rich? ›

Making a lightened-up pesto sauce was a tricky balancing act of not stripping away pesto's identity while also changing it to be healthier. The balance I found to be best was still using a good amount of olive oil, but stretching the oil with another ingredient. That secret ingredient is… ::drumroll:: lemon juice!

Homemade basil pesto is a wonderfully versatile and tasty sauce/spread made from a handful of flavorful ingredients. It comes together in minutes and tastes worlds better than store-bought because it's so fresh.

Its scarcity, plus the fact that the plants are picked roots, soil, and all to ensure that only juvenile leaves make it into pesto, makes it extraordinarily expensive and something that only premium, artisan pesto makers can justify using.

Adding a small amount of acidity (lemon juice or vinegar) and balancing that with a little sweetness (sugar or honey) is the best way to take the edge off a pesto that tastes overwhelmingly of garlic. Almost every cuisine on earth makes use of garlic, and it's a vital component in pesto.

Cashews. Cashews resemble pine nuts in color, texture and mild sweetness, and can be used as a substitute in just about any recipe. Stick to unsalted versions (roasted or raw varieties both work), and toast them to provide extra depth of flavor.

CONS: Oil. Salt. Strong flavor can overpower more delicate flavors in foods.

Quite simply, a poor-quality oil is going to produce a poor-quality pesto. If your olive oil has been open for more than 12 months, then you may start to detect hints of must, vinegar, bitterness, or a metallic aftertaste.

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 long as it forms part of a diverse diet with plenty of vegetables, fibre, and moderate levels of protein and dairy, there's absolutely no need to worry about pesto being bad for you. It's packed full of nutrients and healthy fats, which are needed in a well-balanced diet.

Is pesto healthier than tomato? ›

As you would expect, pesto's wider variety of ingredients means it does slightly better in the vitamin and mineral stakes. Pesto outsmarts tomato sauce in many of these, but the pasta sauce still provides a sizeable chunk of your recommended daily targets.

Can you use basil stems in pesto? Absolutely! The great thing about making pesto is that you can use the entire herb in the sauce. If you get a bunch of basil with extra thick stems, you may want to trim those off, as your blender or food processor might not be able to handle them.

Adding a little sugar is the most obvious way to dampen down any bitterness from pesto. Anything sugary will work: granulated white sugar, honey, fruit juices, even sweet dessert wines.

Pesto – This green sauce usually consists of basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. If you find the basil flavor is too strong, try replacing half of the basil with spinach. You can also substitute walnuts or almonds for pine nuts.

Also, if your pesto is too thick, feel free to thin it out with a few tablespoons of extra olive oil or water. Taste and season. Give the sauce a taste (you can dip a veggie stick or piece of bread in, if you'd like), and season with extra salt and pepper if needed.

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.