Nut-Free Basil Pesto

At the end of every summer, I’m always left with a bounty of basil. I’m never sure what to do with it so I feel like every year, I’m googling ways to use it. I’ve frozen some in ice cube trays, I’ve mixed it in with dinners and appetizers for an entire week and I make a nut-based pesto. But, a friend of mine can’t eat nuts, so I thought wouldn’t it be brilliant to be able to make pesto without nuts so everyone could enjoy it?!

So, here we are – a nut-free basil pesto and i kid you not, I’m never adding nuts to pesto ever again. This is so fresh, so delicious and so easy, it’s the best pesto recipe EVER. Hands down!

Tell me you totally agree, too, in the comments below! I can’t wait to hear what you mixed yours into!

Nut-Free Basil Pesto

Servings: 4
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

2 cups (firmly packed) basil leaves
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 small cloves of garlic
1/4 cup water
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions

Place the basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, water, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until a paste forms, about 10-15 seconds.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in olive oil. Gently mix in by hand (don’t use the blender to mix in the olive oil or it will taste bitter).
Use pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed container. Enjoy!