Breastfeeding Friendly Basil & Olive Pesto
This bright, herby pesto skips the traditional pine nuts and parmesan entirely, leaning instead on briny green olives and a generous hit of fresh basil to build deep, satisfying flavor. That swap matters when you're nursing and keeping a close eye on what goes into every meal ā this is a clean, wholesome condiment you can feel genuinely good about. Extra-virgin olive oil brings healthy fats that are especially welcome during the postpartum period, while garlic and lemon juice keep every spoonful tasting vibrant and fresh. The food processor does all the heavy lifting, so you're looking at just a few minutes of active effort between you and a jar of something truly delicious. Toss it with pasta, spread it on toast, swirl it into soups, or use it as a dip ā it's endlessly versatile on days when cooking a full meal just isn't happening. The optional parsley adds a gentle herbal lift if you have it on hand, but the pesto is completely satisfying without it. Make a batch, stash it in the fridge, and let it quietly upgrade everything you eat this week.
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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)
Can be omittedfresh parsley
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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