I still remember the day I made my first fresh pesto sauce from scratch. I dipped a small spoon into the blended sauce and offered the spoonful to my husband to try. He made a face at first (he usually does that as he is a cautious taste-tester) but that face turned into approval quickly once the spoon was in his mouth. Since then I have often made pesto pasta for his work lunches and these were always highly rated by him. From that first recipe long ago, I have now improved it into this simple yet delicious recipe to make an easy aromatic oil-free pesto sauce for pasta dinners and to spread onto breads for breakfast or lunch. It is so delicious that I can’t wait to share it with you! Jump to Recipe
Using only 9 ingredients, this vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free Fabulous Oil-Free Green Basil Pesto recipe is extremely versatile. You can use this pesto sauce to make cold or hot pasta dishes for lunch or dinner, bring it for school or work lunches, or even to parties and potluck functions. Besides pastas, bagels and bread, you can also spread pesto sauce onto crackers or cut vegetables, or use it as a dip for baked potato fries. For those with gluten sensitivities, choose a gluten-free pasta, bread or cracker alternative to combine with this sauce.
Since fresh basil leaves and pine nuts can be expensive and also difficult to source readily, this budget-friendly recipe uses mostly kale leaves and toasted walnuts to achieve the same delicious effect. If you are toasting walnuts from scratch or already have some on hand, reserve a handful to sprinkle onto the finished pasta for a satisfying crunch. You can also sprinkle on toasted pumpkin seeds for more deliciousness. This recipe is extremely adaptable, so if you don’t have some of the listed ingredients, see the recipe and notes below for more ingredient substitutions and topping suggestions. Our family loves this recipe and I hope you do too!
A simple and deliciously flavorful oil-free, egg-free, soy-free, gluten-free and dairy-free pesto sauce that won’t break your bank. Freeze the extras and enjoy for many months to come!
- 3 large garlic cloves (chopped)
- ½ cup roasted unsalted walnuts [60g]
- ¼ cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds [32g]
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil [30 g] (can include the stems if you are using a high speed blender)
- 2 cups fresh torn kale or spinach leaves [50g] (or use a baby kale/spinach leaves mix)
- ¼ cup chopped tomato [41g]
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Toasted walnuts
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Ground flaxseed
- Vegan cheese shreds
- Toasted sunflower seeds
- Diced fresh apple cubes
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If not already available, roast the measured amount of walnut pieces in a toaster oven or conventional oven. To do so, preheat the oven to 350 F or 180 C and then roast the walnut pieces for about 6-8 minutes each side, or until browned. Set aside to cool slightly.
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Meanwhile, wash and quickly pat dry (using a paper towel or kitchen towel) the fresh kale leaves or spinach leaves (does not need to be absolutely dry). Then roughly chop the spinach leaves (if not using baby spinach leaves) a few ties into slightly smaller pieces. (If using kale, tear the kale leaves away from the stems, and then tear the leaves into smaller bite sized pieces.) Measure out 4 cups and set this aside in a bowl.
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Wash and quickly pat dry the basil leaves and stems (if using a high speed blender). These also do not need to be absolutely dry.
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Peel the garlic cloves and chop the tomato, then add these and all the other ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor (roasted walnuts, roasted sunflower seeds, chopped spinach or kale leaves, basil leaves, salt, ground black pepper and lemon juice).
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Blend these ingredients on high speed, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl, until a smooth green sauce is formed. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
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Serve as is over pasta, bread, bagels, or crackers (for those with gluten sensitivities, use a gluten-free alternative). If you desire, sprinkle on a combination of toppings (optional). See the suggested toppings listed above. Spoon the extras into an ice cube tray and freeze for 48 hours in a freezer before removing the ‘cube portions’ to put into a zip fastened bag, for easy use in the months to come!
If you do not have a high speed blender or food processor, do not use basil stems in this recipe. Only use the basil leaves. For a smoother sauce, blend the ingredients together for longer.
If you are unable or prefer not to use tomatoes in this recipe, simply substitute the ¼ cup of chopped tomatoes with ½ cup of chopped ripe avocado.
If you would like even more of a basil flavor, feel free to use 2 cups of chopped basil and 1 cup of chopped or baby spinach leaves in this recipe instead. (or just use 3 cups of basil instead of using any spinach or kale!)
I love that that you can freeze some of this pesto in ice-cube portions for later use in the coming weeks and months. I often make double the recipe because this pesto sauce freezes well for at least 3-4 months in a deep freezer, thaws quickly to room temperature once removed from the freezer and only a small portion is needed at a time (I find that often 2 tablespoons of this pesto sauce is already sufficient to deliciously flavor a bowl of pasta)!
Enjoy this Fabulous Oil-Free Green Basil Pesto with pasta as a hot or cold dish. My children and husband love it when I sprinkle on some toasted walnuts and pumpkin seeds, as well as ground flaxseed and sometimes a smattering of vegan cheese shreds to the pasta noodles. Feel free to be creative, using however much pesto sauce you desire and adding in whatever toppings you like. Recently we began adding in diced fresh apple cubes to a bowl of pesto smothered pasta noodles (pictured above), making a light and refreshing meal reminiscent of summer. Can’t wait to take this dish to the next party function!
The best part of this recipe to me? This is that I get to use my own homegrown basil leaves, harvested right from a pot near my living room window. Our children and I have had so much fun tending our little indoor home ‘garden’, watching these basil plants grow from seeds planted a year ago. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like outside (snow for us here) – we still get to harvest a plentiful amount of fresh basil leaves throughout the year!
