Citric Acid Free Garlic Ginger Fresh Herb Pesto
Most store-bought pestos sneak in lemon juice or citric acid as a preservative, which makes finding a safe version genuinely tricky. This homemade blend sidesteps all of that by relying entirely on fresh herbs, raw sunflower seeds, creamy ricotta, and good olive oil to build its flavor — no acidic additives needed. The ginger brings a subtle warmth that plays beautifully against the bright basil and parsley, while the ricotta gives the sauce a lush, almost pillowy body that pine-nut-and-parmesan versions can't quite match. Sunflower seeds keep things accessible and add a mild nuttiness without overwhelming the herbs. The whole thing comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, so you get a vibrant, restaurant-quality condiment with almost no effort. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of days or freezes in small portions, meaning you can always have a clean, citric-acid-free sauce ready to toss with pasta, spread on flatbread, or dollop over roasted vegetables.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup fresh ricotta
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
- 1
Add the basil, parsley, garlic, and ginger to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the herbs are roughly broken down and the garlic and ginger are finely chopped.
- 2
Add the sunflower seeds and fresh ricotta. Pulse another 6–8 times until the seeds are coarsely ground and the mixture looks evenly combined but still has some texture.
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