Celery Free Basil & Olive Pesto
Bright, herby, and punchy with briny depth, this olive-based pesto is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more interesting. Green olives step in where pine nuts or cheese might typically appear, giving the sauce a savory, umami-rich backbone that pairs beautifully with the fragrant basil. A hit of fresh lemon juice and zest keeps it lively and bright, while good extra-virgin olive oil ties everything together into a silky, spoonable consistency. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting ā just pulse, drizzle, and taste. For anyone navigating hidden allergens in store-bought sauces, this one is refreshingly straightforward: every ingredient is whole and easy to verify. Toss it with pasta, spread it on flatbread, or use it as a dipping sauce ā it's endlessly versatile and comes together in minutes.
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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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