Fresh Basil Almond Pesto

Created by Chef Christine Farkas on behalf of Almond Board of California

Difficulty

Easy

Total Time

10 minutes

Ingredients

Serves: 1 ½ cups (375 mL), 12 (2 tbsp/30g) portions

5 cups Basil, fresh leaves, and stems removed
3 tbsp Almond butter, roasted
1/2 cup Almond slices, toasted
1 cup Baby arugula
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast
2 cloves Garlic, fresh
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper, ground
1/2 cup + 2tbsp Olive oil, extra virgin
Water as needed

Preparation

Add the basil, roasted almond butter, toasted almond slices, baby arugula, nutritional yeast, garlic cloves, lemon zest, sea salt, and ground black pepper into a food processor. Pulse 4-5 times to combine the ingredients. Scrape down the sides with a spatula.
Pour in the olive oil and blend until the preferred texture is reached. For a chunkier pesto, blend for a shorter time, for a smooth and velvety texture, blend for a longer time. Add water as needed to thin out the consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Enjoy immediately with the prepared almond pasta or wrap it tightly and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. If you are refrigerating the pesto it will thicken up slightly. Simply stir and heat slightly or add a small amount of warm water to loosen.

Nutritional Info

Per Serving

NAME	AMOUNT
Calories	140
Total Fat	14g
Saturated Fat	2g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	100mg
Total Carbohydrate	3g
Dietary Fiber	1g
Total Sugars	0g (Includes 0g Added Sugar)
Protein	2g
Vitamin D	0mcg
Calcium	40mg
Iron	0.6mg
Potassium 100mg

Notes

The toasted almond slices provide texture, flavor complexity, increased nutrients, and a unique twist to a classic pesto sauce.

The roasted almond butter provides a rich and creamy texture to the pesto and umami.

This pesto concept can be prepared easily at home, or it can be served alongside the Prepared Almond Pasta in the refrigerated section at retail.

Did you know?

In addition to almonds being a delicious ingredient in our recipes they’re also heart healthy, gut healthy, and full of vitamins and nutrients - explore Health & Nutrition to learn more. Not only that, almond farmers are dedicated to sustainability - find out how they’re Growing Good.