Basil and cashew pesto
Full of summer fragrance, bright green basil leaves whizzed up in seconds to make this perfumed pesto. Basil and cashew pesto is a wonderful standby to quickly jazz up a pasta dish or toss with steamed veggies or dollop alongside grilled fish or chicken. One of our favourites is as an accompaniment to our minestrone with ham and pesto.
Ideas for basil and cashew pesto
- mix with sour cream or yogurt for a great dip
- stir through pasta
- brush cobs of corn with pesto
- spread on sandwiches
- toss through cherry tomatoes
- on pizza
- dollop on vegetable soup
Making pesto
Making fresh pesto is an absolute breeze particularly if you have a food processor. Change the herbs to make parsley, coriander or rocket pesto. Change the nuts to what you have on hand….think pine nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts or toasted almonds.
Check out some winning dips and salsa recipes

Basil and Cashew Pesto
Full of summer fragrance, bright green basil leaves whizzed up in seconds to make this perfumed pesto. Basil and cashew pesto is a wonderful standby to quickly jazz up a pasta dish or toss with steamed veggies or dollop alongside grilled fish or chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 oz (50 g) fresh basil leaves - 1 good sized bunch
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 oz (50 g) grated parmesan
- pinch of salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- place all ingredients into a food processor or blender
- blitz till garlic and nuts are chopped evenly
- spoon into a container and refrigerate or freeze - see notes
Notes
- pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays then stored in ziplock bag in the freezer ready for when you want to add a spoonful or two into soups or pasta
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 70Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 1mgSodium 34mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
Nutritional information provided here is only intended as a guide.