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pesto without pine nuts in a light brown bowl with a spoon in it next to fresh basil leaves, olive oil and macadamia nuts.
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5 from 1 vote

Pesto without Pine Nuts

Enjoy this pesto recipe without pine nuts for a fun pesto pasta dinner or as a dip or spread! It's deliciously flavorful from fragrant herbs and garlic, and so easy to make.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: American, British
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Claire

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • ½ cup macadamia nuts or other suitable nut or seed
  • 2.5 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 2 small garlic cloves adjust amount to preference
  • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • pinch salt
  • pinch black pepper optional
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Optional: add the macadamia nuts to a dry skillet (no oil) and toast on a low heat for 4-5 minutes, until very light brown. Move them around occasionally so they don't catch or burn.
  • Tip the macadamia nuts to your food processor and pulse blend so they are chopped into small pieces. Add the fresh basil leaves, garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper (if using) and pulse blend again. You may need to scrape the sides of the food processor down with a spatula.
  • With the food processor running on a low speed, slowly pour in the extra virgin olive oil. Keep blending until you have the consistency of pesto sauce that you like. Taste test, and adjust with more oil, garlic or salt to preference.

Notes

  • As well as macadamia nuts, you can also use blanched almonds, pistachios or pumpkin seeds to make pesto without pine nuts.
  • I suggest to pack the basil leaves down in your measuring cup to ensure you have lots of herb flavor!
  • If it works for you, then Parmesan cheese is an ingredient of classic pesto recipes and can be added (this likely isn't suitable for my low histamine readers).
  • Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
 
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance
All ingredients score 0 on the SIGHI list, with the exception of:
  • garlic and apple cider vinegar, which score 1.
  • black pepper, which scores 2.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1055IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg
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