Why does my pesto taste bitter?

If your basil pesto tastes a little bitter, it's probably because the basil OR olive oil got too processed. Those sharp little food processor blades are convenient, but if you overwork the herb or oil, it will start to turn your pesto bitter. Essentially, the heat from the blades almost starts to cook the mixture, and you don't want that here! To fix this, I combine almost everything before the basil and olive oil even gets added. I just use the processor to chop the basil - pulsing no more than 20 times - and then stir in the olive oil by hand.

My pesto tastes salty

This totally happens. While the parmesan cheese adds saltiness, you also want regular salt to help break down all of the ingredients. So it's easy to overdo it a bit. If your pesto turns out a tad salty, just add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice and let is sit for a few minutes. The acid will offset the saltiness a bit, and letting it sit will mellow things out. With that said, if you are tossing the pesto with pasta or adding to a spread, a little extra salt won't be a problem!

How chunky is pesto supposed to be?

Pesto is meant to be a little chunky, in that it doesn't need to be a perfectly smooth sauce. It can also depend on how you're going to use the pesto, but essentially you want something that is easily spreadable but not runny like a vinaigrette or anything. If yours feels a little too chunky, or even too runny, I say just let it sit for a while. Sometimes the sauce just needs some time for the ingredients to come together. For this nut-free pesto, letting the batch sit for even 20-30 minutes lets any of the chunkier rice pieces soften a bit and creates a more cohesive sauce. Bonus: That time also helps the flavors all come together and mingle!

How long does fresh pesto last? Does pesto go bad?

I try to use up pesto within one week, as I find it starts to lose it's flavor a bit after that. To store, keep your pesto in a air-tight jar or container with a thin layer of olive oil on top. This nut-free pesto also freezes beautifully, so feel free to make a big batch and store some in the freezer to pull out later.

How To Make Pesto Without Nuts

Description

Learn how to make nut-free pesto using pantry friendly ingredients. Try my favorite -a classic pesto recipe that swaps the pine nuts for toasted rice for the nutty flavor and texture - or use sunflower seeds for an even easier substitute. Toss your fresh pesto with pasta or rice, add into marinades for chicken or shrimp or use in a spread for sandwiches and wraps.

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons rice (Sticky, Jasmine or Basmati work well)
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups (~3 oz) basil leaves (remove tough stems)
1/3 cup (~ 1/2 oz) grated parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add 2 tablespoons rice to a small, dry skillet. Turn heat to medium.
Let rice toast for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir or shake the pan often to ensure all "sides" of the rice get toasted.
Once rice is golden brown, transfer to a mortar and pestle, spice/coffee grinder or a high-powered blender or food processor. Grind rice until it's mostly a powder, with just a few larger pieces (see photo in post below).
Add rice, 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a food processor or blender. Blend until garlic is very finely chopped and you have a paste-like mixture.
Add 2 1/2 cups basil leaves and pulse 15-20 times or until finely chopped and combined. Add 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and pulse 5 more times.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. For best results, let pesto sit for at least 20-30 minutes before using to allow all the flavors to come together. If you like your pesto a little runnier or more sauce-like, feel free to add more olive oil!
Store basil in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Instead of rice, you can also just use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds to replace nuts. Feel free to toast them the same way you would the rice for extra flavor!
Traditionally, sticky rice is used to make rice powder. While that is best, if you can't find sticky rice or don't want to go out and buy another kind of rice (I get it!), I've found both Jasmine and Basmati work really well too.
Letting the pesto sit for 20-30 minutes (or longer) accomplishes 2 things: The flavors have time to sit and mingle, making the entire sauce even more delicious. It also lets any of the chunkier rice pieces (if they didn't grind fully into a powder) soften just a bit more and make the entire batch more cohesive.
To keep the pesto fresh in the fridge, store in a small, air-tight container with a thin layer of olive oil poured on top.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Sauces
Cuisine: Italian