This punchy Basil Mint Pesto is made with almonds and tangy, pecorino cheese. It pairs wonderfully with a variety of meat, vegetable and grain dishes.
Ingredient Notes
Herbs- I use 2 parts basil to 1 part mint in this recipe. Play around with the ratio to suit your preferences.
Nuts- Almond or walnuts both work well in this recipe.
Cheese- I love how mint pairs with the tangy pecorino cheese, but you could also use parmesan.
Recipe Steps
To bring out the flavor of the nuts, toast them in the oven before making the pesto. Make sure they're completely cooled or you'll risk discoloring the herbs in the food processer.
Next, grind the nuts and garlic. Then add the herbs and pulse to coarsely chop.
Slowly stream in the remaining oil, while blending until emulsified. Lastly, stir in the cheese and lemon, and season, to taste.
Foods to Pair with Basil Mint Pesto
- Lamb, beef or chicken
- Grains such as farro, barley, quinoa or rice.
- Grilled or roasted vegetables, such as cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, red bell peppers, potatoes, radishes or fennel.
- On sandwiches with vegetables or meat listed above, and mozzarella or ricotta cheese.
- On pasta or in pasta salads.
- In salad dressing.
- Drizzled on top of soups and stews.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Make sure the nuts are completely cooled before making the pesto. If they're still warm, the herbs can cook and discolor.
- Substitute walnuts for almonds, or parmesan for pecorino.
- Make extra and store in a jar in the fridge or freezer. Omit the cheese if you plan to freeze it. Coat the top of the pesto with a layer of oil to prevent oxidation. It will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks in the fridge or at least 4 months in the freezer.
Traditional pesto is obviously made entirely of basil, but the addition of mint brings a zippy, punchy characteristic that is versatile in many different dishes.
If you have a lot of mint in your garden, pesto is a great way to use it up. Mint pesto also freezes well.
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Related Recipes
- Lemon Basil Pesto
- Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes
- Golden Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pesto
- Seared Baby Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto
- Ramp Pesto Crostini with Ricotta
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Basil Mint Pesto
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: ½ cup 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This punchy Basil Mint Pesto is made with almonds and tangy, pecorino cheese. It pairs wonderfully with a variety of meat, vegetable and grain dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves, loosely packed
- ½ cup mint leaves, loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons almonds or walnuts
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- Toast nuts: Preheat oven to 350F. Place almonds on a sheet tray. Toast for approximately 8 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant, stirring half way through. Transfer to a plate and cool completely.
- Grind nuts, garlic and herbs: In a food processor or blender, combine the almonds and garlic, and pulse until finely ground. Add herbs and process until finely chopped.
- Add oil and season: Slowly stream in the olive oil, while blending. Stir in cheese and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy.
Notes
Double or triple this recipe, if desired.
Use parmigiano reggiano or parmesan cheese instead of pecorino, if desired.
To store, place in a jar and coat the top with enough olive oil to cover. This will create an airtight seal. Store in the fridge for a couple weeks or in the freezer for at least 4 month. Omit cheese if planning to freeze.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Grind, blend
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tbsp
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 43mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Protein: 7g
Apoorva Gupta says
What's the pulse that u have used in the cooking methods?
Sabrina says
Pulse means to quickly press the food processor on and off intermittently instead of letting it run continuously. That will gently mix the ingredients together.
Anonymous says
What's the pulse? Its a bit confusing as I couldn't find it in the description or the ingredients.
Sabrina says
Pulse is actually a verb not an ingredient. I explained it a little more thoroughly in another comment reply, but it simply means to press the food processor on and off in short spurts instead of letting it running continuously. Hope that helps!