5 - Minute Basil Cashew Pesto - Flavour and Savour

a small bowl of basil cashew pesto with a spoon

5 - Minute Basil Cashew Pesto

This recipe for basil cashew pesto takes about 5 minutes to make. Use it fresh or freeze it for later to use on pasta, zucchini noodles, roasted vegetables, sandwiches, grilled meats, fish or shrimp and prawns. A versatile Italian sauce.

Course Dressings and Sauces

Cuisine American, Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings

Calories 164kcal

Author Elaine

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil, packed
⅓ cup cashews, toasted
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup olive oil, extra virgin

Instructions

Toast cashews in a skillet until lightly browned. Let cool slightly.
Add all ingredients to a food processor.
Pulse until finely chopped, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of bowl.
With machine running, pour olive oil through the chute and process until well combined.
Transfer to glass jars or ice cube trays.
Refrigerate or freeze.

Notes

Possible variations:

Change the nuts: substitute almonds, walnuts or the traditional pine nuts for the cashews.
Keep it dairy-free and vegan: add 3 - 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese
Make it thinner: add a little water until you achieve the consistency you like.
Leave it a little chunky, or process it longer to give it a smoother consistency.

Nutrition