Brazil Nut Free Garlic Scallion Fresh Herb Pesto
This vibrant green pesto is packed with fresh basil, flat-leaf parsley, and scallion greens, giving it a bright, layered herbaceousness that goes way beyond the standard jarred stuff. Sunflower seeds stand in for the more common pine nuts, adding a subtle nuttiness and creamy body without any tree nut concerns — and they blend beautifully with the fresh ricotta for a sauce that's rich but not heavy. The garlic gets pulsed right in with the herbs, so every bite carries that sharp, savory backbone you want in a proper pesto. It all comes together in a food processor in just a few minutes, making it one of those recipes that feels impressive but barely asks anything of you. Spoon it over pasta, swirl it into soup, spread it on toast, or use it as a dip — it's genuinely versatile. Since you're making it from scratch with whole, simple ingredients, there's no guesswork about what's actually in the jar. Just press plastic wrap against the surface before refrigerating and it'll stay gorgeous and green for up to two days.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, packed
- 3 scallions, green tops only, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ⅓ cup fresh ricotta
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- 1
Add the basil, parsley, scallion greens, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the herbs are roughly broken down and the garlic is 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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