Cashew Pesto

This Cashew Pesto is extra creamy and made with only 6 easy ingredients: cashews, fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese garlic and lemon! So easy and vibrant – perfect for topping any dish!

Y’all this Cashew Pesto is my new favorite thing. Is it socially acceptable to put a sauce on literally everything I eat? Bread, pasta, by the spoonful…all of the above, yes.

I feel like growing up I never ever had pesto. Not even the jarred stuff. So when I eventually made it on my own, the freshness really just took over my life and lately, I will almost always pick pesto over red sauce!

I also love how deliciously bright this Cashew Pesto is. It’s made with fresh basil – which was so hard to find fresh at the grocery store that I ended up buying a literal basil plant. Prayer circle that I can actually keep said basil plant alive. I’ll keep you updated.

In addition to the delicious fresh basil, you have the salted cashews which make it inexplicably creamy. The savory olive oil which gives it the fat that it needs to make it just extra delicious. The parmesan cheese, I mean, do I even need to explain why parmesan cheese makes something better? Ugh! I love parm so much. It’s so deliciously salty. Note: Please don’t use the green bottle of parmesan cheese that you buy in the store. Either get the pre-grated in bags (I love Aldi’s brand!) or you can get a big hunk of parm yourself and shred it! I promise you will thank me later. Leave the delicious green bottled cakey parmesan cheese for topping pizza, am I right?

The last two ingredients that I think just absolutely takes this Cashew Pesto to the next level are: garlic and lemon! You know me, I don’t think I could ever have a savory recipe without including garlic and this Cashew Pesto is no exception. The garlic flavor is nuanced throughout and it’s so tasty – especially paired with the acidity of the lemon juice! This Cashew Pesto really needs a squeeze of a lemon to balance alll of those ingredients out.

Once you have all the ingredients, the rest is a dream. Throw them into your food processor (or a high powered blender) and pulse until smooth and extra creamy. Like this:

Spread it on whatever you’d like: pasta, pizza, veggies, toasted bread, antipasto board…the world is your oyster! Or hey, you could even jar some up, tie some ribbon around it and give it to someone as an easy Christmas present!

Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make it, be sure to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Xo!

5 from 1 vote

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Cashew Pesto

This Cashew Pesto is made with only 6 easy ingredients: cashews, fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese garlic and lemon! So easy and vibrant - perfect for topping any dish!

Course sauce

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cashew pesto, easy cashew pesto, easy pesto, garlic pesto

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Author Haylie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup salted cashews
• 1 cup fresh basil, packed
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare your ingredients. Mince your garlic. Slice your lemon in half. Add your basil, cashews, olive oil, garlic, the juice of half a lemon to a food processor or a high powered blender. 

2. Pulse until blended and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. 

3. Add to pasta, pizza, bread, etc. Enjoy!