Shellfish Free Basil & Olive Pesto
Bright, herbaceous, and packed with Mediterranean character, this pesto swaps out pine nuts and cheese for briny green olives that bring a savory depth you won't find in the classic version. The combination of fresh basil, lemon juice, and lemon zest keeps everything vibrant and punchy, while good extra-virgin olive oil ties it all together into something silky and bold. It comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, making it one of those sauces you'll want to keep on rotation. Store-bought pestos can be a minefield for anyone avoiding shellfish, since shared production lines and unexpected additives are more common than you'd think ā making a homemade batch like this the smartest move. Every ingredient here is straightforward and plant-based, so you know exactly what's going into the jar. Toss it with pasta, spread it on crusty bread, swirl it into soup, or use it as a dipping sauce ā the possibilities are genuinely endless. The optional parsley adds a fresh, slightly peppery finish that makes the whole thing feel even more alive.
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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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