with Orecchiette
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes | Serves: 2 people
It’s summer in Italy, you’re walking around a local market and spot a huge bunch of basil - it’s so fresh, tiny yellow flowers are sprouting from it and soil clings to the roots. A very persistent Nonna ‘encourages’ you to buy it.
So you do. Then you walk around with the bunch in your bag, buying the rest of the ingredients: Parmesan, garlic and fresh lemons. You find a shop selling orecchiette rolled that morning, and your Airbnb host has gifted you the most beautiful olive oil made by his father. Of course, you decide to make the freshest, most wonderful pesto you’ve ever made.
Why you’ll love this Toasted Almond Pesto -
I think you’ll love this recipe because you only need a handful of ingredients and it’s a lovely, fresh alternative to a rich pasta sauce. It can also be tossed through a salad or served with roast chicken or vegetables, as a low-carb, keto-friendly option.
Pesto is one of those easy, throw-together recipes everyone loves. I’ve made plenty of variations, but this toasted almond one has two reasons behind it.
The first was accessibility. We discovered salted, toasted almonds in Spain and bought a few bags to take along with us. On holiday you don’t want to buy a ton of ingredients, so I swapped pine nuts (which are authentically used in pesto) for almonds. I loved the flavours so much that it stuck.
The second, and more important, reason is that my partner is allergic to a few nuts, and pine nuts were always a grey area. He had never tried pesto before, so I made this version at home and he loved it.
A recent prick test showed he isn’t allergic to pine nuts after all, so he can now order pesto in restaurants. He still prefers this homemade one, and once you make it, you’ll understand why.
Ingredients -
50 gms almonds (lightly toasted)
4 large garlic cloves
75 gms basil (about 2 packed cups)
40 gms Parmesan + more to garnish (grated)
70 mls olive oil + more to drizzle
Salt and pepper, according to taste
Lemon juice, to taste
To serve (optional) -
Pasta of your choice (around 270 gms)
Method -
Add basil, garlic and almonds to a food processor/ hand blender.
Blitz, drizzling the olive oil in batches to emulsify.
Add grated Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice, then give it a final blitz and season according to taste.
If serving with pasta, boil it according to packet instructions.
Drain and reserve about 2-3 tbsps of pasta water.
Toss pasta with the pesto, loosening with a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed.
Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and extra Parmesan.
Other pasta recipes you might enjoy -
Swaps, Serves & Storage
Can I use pine nuts instead of almonds for this recipe?
Pine nuts are the classic choice and work in exactly the same amount. I use almonds because they’re more accessible and I enjoy the taste, but feel free to stick to the authentic version if you prefer.Do I need to use pre toasted almonds for this recipe?
You can easily roast almonds at home. Just toss them in a pan over low heat and toast for 7-8 minutes until they smell nutty and turn golden brown.What can I use instead of Parmesan?
Grated Pecorino or Grana Padano both work as a good swap for Parmesan cheese. For a dairy-free pesto, nutritional yeast is a good alternative, although you might need to adjust the level of salt accordingly.Can I make this almond pesto without a food processor/ hand blender?
It’s an arm workout, but you can make the pesto with a mortar and pestle It’ll have a chunkier texture, but tastes just as delicious. Pound the garlic with a pinch of salt first, then add the basil (I’d suggest chopping it roughly) and almonds, then stir in the oil and Parmesan.Can I make pesto ahead of time? How long can I store it?
You can make this pesto ahead of time and it should keep in the fridge in an air tight jar for about 5 days. Note, it will oxidise and change colour slightly, but that doesn’t affect the flavour.
