Pregnancy Friendly Garlic Ginger Fresh Herb Pesto
This vibrant, herb-packed pesto is a brilliant way to load up on fresh flavors while keeping things safe and nourishing during pregnancy. Traditional pesto often calls for pine nuts and aged hard cheeses, but this version swaps in raw sunflower seeds and fresh ricotta — a pasteurized soft cheese that's a much safer choice than the unpasteurized varieties to avoid right now. The garlic and ginger give it a gentle warmth and depth that makes it taste anything but "modified," and the double hit of basil and flat-leaf parsley keeps the color stunning and the flavor bright. Everything comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, so there's minimal effort between you and a jar of something genuinely delicious. Stir it through pasta, spread it on toast, swirl it into soups, or use it as a dip — it's endlessly versatile. The recipe also freezes beautifully in small portions, which means you can make a batch now and have a quick, wholesome flavor boost ready whenever a craving hits.
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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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