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Close up of fresh basil pesto without nuts in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

The Best Nut-Free Basil Pesto Sauce

This nut-free fresh basil pesto sauce is everything you want in a sauce: fresh, garlicky, lemony, and rich with olive oil and parmesan. It’s simple to make and seriously good on just about everything!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings (about 3/4 cup)
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 301

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fresh basil packed
  • ½ cup spinach or other greens
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 3 Garlic cloves
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese reduce to ¼ cup if using pre-grated.
  • Salt to taste

Method
 

  1. Combine basil leaves (remove any thick stems), spinach, garlic cloves, parmesan, a pinch of salt, and freshly squeezed lemon into a food processor. Blend on high, while slowly pouring in the olive oil.
  2. Once the mixture is blended and all the olive oil is added, give it a taste to adjust for salt.
  3. Serve with pasta or store in the fridge for up to 5 days and use on salads, sandwiches and more!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 5gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 786mgPotassium: 97mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 772IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 174mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Store pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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