Black Pepper Free Basil & Olive Pesto

Total time10 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time0 min

4.5

(20)

Most store-bought pestos sneak in black pepper almost as an afterthought, which makes finding a truly safe version trickier than it should be. This one skips it entirely and doesn't sacrifice a single bit of flavor in the process. Packed fresh basil, briny green olives, and a bright hit of lemon juice and zest do all the heavy lifting here, creating a pesto that's vibrant, savory, and genuinely exciting. The olives are the real secret weapon — they bring a buttery, salty depth that replaces any need for heat or sharpness. A slow drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil pulls everything into a silky, spoonable sauce with just enough texture to feel rustic and homemade. A handful of fresh parsley stirred in at the end adds a clean, herby finish if you want it. Toss it with pasta, spread it on crusty bread, or swirl it into soup — this one earns a permanent spot in your fridge.

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
⅓ cup pitted green olives
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest
½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1–2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the basil leaves, green olives, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
2
With the processor running, pour the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube, processing until the pesto is smooth with a few flecks of texture remaining — about 20–30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then pulse once or twice more to incorporate.

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