Ina Garten’s Pine Nut and Walnut Pesto Sauce is a delicious pesto recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook.
I view freshly made pesto as a great summer food. Basil is plentiful in the summer… so much so that it sometimes takes over people’s gardens! Sometimes it’s hard to think of ways to use it all up. This recipe calls for using 5 cups of basil, so it’s a good one for taking care of that problem. Homemade pesto is so much better than store-bought, so be sure to give it a try!
Ingredients needed:
- walnuts
- pine nuts
- garlic
- fresh basil leaves
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
How to make Pine Nut and Walnut Pesto:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
Store in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil drizzled on top.
This is a fantastic pesto sauce recipe with the combination of walnuts and pine nuts. That gives it a bit of a different flavor than classic pesto sauce. If you happen to be allergic to walnuts, it’s okay to use all pine nuts.
Since basil grows like weeds in the garden during the summer months, grab all the fresh basil and make this recipe. This recipe makes quite a bit of pesto. The great part about it is that pine nut and walnut pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. And it can be frozen too!
How to Freeze Pesto Sauce:
If you want to freeze the pesto, line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, and fill each cube with the pesto sauce. Freeze and then remove from the ice tray and store in a freezer safe, zip-top bag. When you want to use it, defrost and it will be ready for anything.
Ways to Use Pesto Sauce:
Toss pine nut and walnut pesto with pasta for a quick sauce, drizzle onto baked potatoes, or spread onto crackers or toasted slices of bread. Enjoy!
Recipes featuring pesto sauce:
- Pesto Pizza Appetizers
- Pesto Spaghetti Zoodles with Heirloom Tomatoes
- Chicken Pesto Sandwich
- Pesto Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms
- Creamy Pesto Chicken
Ina Garten’s Pine Nut and Walnut Pesto Sauce
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons (about 9 cloves) diced garlic
- 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds.
- Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely puréed.
- Add the Parmesan and purée for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.
