"With easy access to a bushy basil plant in my garden, I like whipping up big batches of the stuff, but I'm not always following the classic recipe. But can you make pesto using cashews? A traditional basil pesto uses pine nuts, which can be expensive to buy. Cashews are a pantry staple already in my house, so the idea of making pesto using cashews happened on a whim. Turns out it's delicious, and tastes just like the classic basil pesto!"
"Pine nuts have a distinct flavor and can be harder to find here in the US: not to mention more expensive. Cashews are the next best thing: they add a creamy body and make for a delightfully satisfying basil pesto! My cashew pesto also uses fresh lemon juice! Adding a squeeze of lemon brightens the flavor. You could omit this if desired, but I like the complexity it adds: and it helps to keep the color green."
Pesto is an Italian sauce with basil pesto (pesto alla genovese) as its most famous version. Traditional basil pesto uses pine nuts, which can be expensive and sometimes hard to find. Cashews provide a creamy body and make a budget-friendly substitute that produces a satisfying, classic-like basil pesto. Fresh lemon juice brightens flavor and helps maintain a bright green color, though it can be omitted. Preparation works with a mortar and pestle, blender, or food processor, with the food processor offering the easiest method. A vegan version is possible by omitting cheese.
Read at A Couple Cooks
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]