Pescatarian Basil & Olive Pesto
This bright, herbaceous pesto swaps out the traditional pine nuts for briny green olives, and the result is something genuinely special ā bold, savory, and layered with a citrusy lift from fresh lemon juice and zest. The olives bring a salty depth that makes every spoonful taste more complex than you'd expect from such a short ingredient list. A food processor does all the heavy lifting here, so you go from a pile of fresh basil to a glossy, vibrant sauce in just a few minutes. It's a naturally plant-forward condiment that works beautifully across a pescatarian table ā tossed with pasta, spooned over grilled fish, spread onto crusty bread, or stirred into a grain bowl. The optional parsley adds a slightly earthier note if you want to stretch the green flavor even further. Made with nothing but whole, recognizable ingredients and finished with a glug of good extra-virgin olive oil, this is the kind of sauce you'll want to keep a jar of in the fridge at all times.
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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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