Capsaicin Free Mint & Herb Pesto
Most store-bought pestos sneak in red pepper flakes or other heat-forward seasonings that can catch sensitive eaters completely off guard. This version skips all of that and leans instead on a bright, aromatic trio of mint, basil, and flat-leaf parsley that makes the sauce feel genuinely fresh and vibrant. A little lemon zest and fresh lemon juice do the heavy lifting in place of any spice, giving the pesto a lively, citrusy edge that keeps it from ever tasting flat. Garlic and good extra-virgin olive oil round everything out into a coarse, spoonable paste that clings beautifully to pasta, grilled vegetables, or crusty bread. The food processor method makes it fast and approachable ā a few pulses to break down the herbs, then a slow drizzle of oil and you're done. It stores well in a sealed jar with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface, so you can make a batch ahead and reach for it all week without worry.
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Learn more āIngredients
6 servings
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, packed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- Ā½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt
- Ā½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Add the mint, basil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8ā10 times until the herbs are coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
- 2
With the processor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the pesto comes together into a coarse, spoonable paste ā about 20ā30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then pulse once or twice more to incorporate any remaining herb pieces.
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