Brazil Nut Free Basil & Olive Pesto
Most store-bought pestos sneak in pine nuts or other tree nuts as a base, which makes label-reading a constant chore. This version skips the nuts entirely, leaning on briny green olives to deliver that rich, savory depth you want from a great pesto. Packed basil leaves, fresh garlic, a hit of lemon juice and zest, and a generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil come together in the food processor in just a few pulses ā no toasting, no soaking, no fuss. The olives add a subtle saltiness that makes the whole thing taste more complex than the short ingredient list suggests. A little fresh parsley stirred in at the end brightens the color and adds a clean, herby finish if you want it. Spoon it over pasta, swipe it on sandwiches, or use it as a dipping sauce ā it holds up beautifully in a jar in the fridge and gets even better as the flavors settle.
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Learn more āIngredients
6 servings
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ā cup pitted green olives
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Ā½ tsp lemon zest
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- Ā½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1ā2 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 8ā10 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 ā about 20ā30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then pulse once or twice more to incorporate.
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