Mediterranean Diet Friendly Pesto-Walnut Egg Skillet with Asparagus
Bright, vegetable-forward, and built around ingredients that feel genuinely good to eat, this skillet is the kind of weeknight dinner that looks far more impressive than the effort required. Asparagus and cherry tomatoes form a colorful, jammy base, while eggs nestled into little wells cook gently until the whites are just set and the yolks are exactly how you like them. The homemade walnut pesto — blended with fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil — gets spooned over everything at the end, adding a rich, herby layer that ties the whole pan together. Walnuts pull double duty here, blended into the pesto and toasted separately to finish the dish with a warm, nutty crunch. This kind of cooking leans naturally into the principles of a plant-rich, olive-oil-forward eating style without requiring any special substitutions or workarounds — the ingredients themselves do all the heavy lifting. Everything comes together in a single skillet, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying a meal that tastes like it took real thought to put on the table.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
For the pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- ⅓ cup raw walnuts, divided
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the skillet
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus (about 12 oz), woody ends snapped off, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 large eggs
For serving
- fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the pesto: combine the basil, 1/4 cup of the walnuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse 5–6 times until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth but still has some texture, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
- 2
Toast the remaining walnuts: add the reserved walnuts (about 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp) to a dry 12-inch skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, 2–3 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer to a small plate and set aside.
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