Turkey Free Garlic Ginger Fresh Herb Pesto
This vibrant, herb-forward pesto is a serious upgrade from anything you'd find in a jar at the grocery store. Fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley form the green, fragrant base, while a hit of fresh ginger adds a subtle warmth that makes the whole thing feel a little unexpected and completely addictive. Sunflower seeds stand in for the more traditional pine nuts, giving the pesto a pleasantly nutty, slightly earthy texture without overpowering the herbs. A spoonful of fresh ricotta rounds everything out with a creamy richness that makes the sauce cling beautifully to pasta, grilled vegetables, or crusty bread. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting here — a few pulses and a steady drizzle of good olive oil, and you're done. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of days and freezes brilliantly in small portions, so you can always have a batch on hand for a quick, flavor-packed meal.
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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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