Fructose Free Basil & Olive Pesto
Bright, herby, and deeply savory, this pesto swaps out the usual pine nuts and parmesan for briny green olives, letting fresh basil and good olive oil take center stage. The result is a silky, vibrant sauce with a pleasantly bold edge from the olives and a lift of brightness from fresh lemon juice and zest. For anyone navigating fructose sensitivity, store-bought pesto and condiments can be a minefield of hidden high-fructose ingredients, onion powders, and sweeteners ā this one keeps things clean and straightforward. Every ingredient here is simple and naturally low in fructose, so you can spoon it generously without second-guessing the label. The food processor does all the heavy lifting in just a few minutes, and the slow drizzle of olive oil creates a beautifully emulsified texture that clings to pasta, grilled vegetables, or crusty bread. A little optional parsley at the end adds a fresh, grassy note if you want to round out the flavor even further. Make a jar on the weekend and you'll find yourself reaching for it all week long.
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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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