Basil Cashew Pesto Recipe

Ingredient Notes

• Garlic — Fresh Garlic makes this pesto irresistible, as it rounds up the flavors of all the other ingredients. The garlic cloves are raw and fresh in this recipe.
• Salt — I like to use quality salt, and I have tried this cashew pesto recipe with pink Himalayan salt and with french Fleur de Sel. The salt enhances the taste and helps to reduce the ingredients into a paste due to its nature.
• Cashews — Get unsalted cashew seeds to prepare a creamy pesto. Good quality cashews will turn this homemade pesto into a delight. Cashews are not cheap, but you don't need a large quantity in this sauce, and you will realize that spending a little more to get the better cashews is well worth it!
• Olive Oil — I like cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. The quality of your olive oil can make the difference in flavor, but those oils are much pricier. Use what works for you.
• Basil — I use fresh Italian basil in this pesto recipe. In Genoa, Italy, they use the smallest and most tender leaves for the highest quality pesto. Do what's achievable for you, I use larger leaves too because that's what I have at home. You can use smaller Mediterranean basil varieties too. Thai or Indian basil are not suitable choices for this recipe!
• Parmesan — Don't just get any Parmesan, but a quality Parmigiano Reggiano to create the best evergreen pesto paste. The right Parmesan can make or break your pesto.

How to make it in a mortar and pestle?

These are the steps to prepare a quality basil cashew pesto in a mortar and pestle.

If you prepare the pesto in a food grinder or blender, simply add all ingredients and reduce to a smooth paste.

Step 1

Crush the garlic small with the salt.

Add in the Cashews and continue to crush and grind so that everything is turned into a smaller consistency.

Step 2

Pour some of the olive oil to the garlic cashew mixture and add in all the fresh basil leaves.

Continue to pound and grind to form slowly a paste.

Step 3

Pour the remaining olive oil, mix grind and pound and add the Parmesan cheese.

Create a smooth pesto or to your desired consistency.

Uses

The basil cashew pesto is super versatile! Serve your Pesto in/with/over or use as...

• Cooked pasta
• Pesto Panini
• Potato gnocchi
• Pizza topping instead of tomato sauce or in Flammkuchen
• Bruschetta
• Toasted sandwich
• Flatbread and bread
• Cooked vegetables
• Salad dressing
• Cooked meats such as steaks, grilled chicken, kebabs
• Cooked fish or seafood such as salmon and shrimp
• Mixed with sour cream or mayo to make a dipping sauce
• Soups as in Turkish lentil soup

Storing

You can store your basil cashew pesto in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

Or you freeze the basil pesto sauce into ice cube shapes and store them in the fridge (just as I did in my papaya paste post)

I prefer to store my pesto in the fridge because pesto is anyway better when fresh, and I don't like to keep it for too long.

Using Mortar and Pestle VS Food Processor

The Mortar and Pestle

Mortar and pestle are great if you want to add flavor to your basil cashew pesto. Stone mortar and pestle helps to release the aroma of the ingredients.

You will never get the same result if you use a food processor or blender with blades.

I suggest you use only a large granite or marble mortar and pestle because metal, wooden or ceramic mortar and pestle are not that effective.

Stone mortar and pestle are also heavier and the unpolished stone texture on the inside, weight, and large size make it easier to grind everything quickly to a smooth pesto paste.

Small mortar and pestle are almost useless because you need a large bowl to reduce your ingredients to a paste.

Marble Mortar and pestle originated in the Mediterranean area such as Italy, France, and Spain.

Granite Mortar and pestle is still a common kitchen tool in Asian countries such as South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Both are great and work almost identical.

The downside of a mortar and pestle is the physical effort that you need to prepare this fresh green sauce from scratch.

Food processor or Blender

Use a quality food processor or blender if you would rather not invest in a mortar and pestle and/or if you want to avoid physical movement.

I use a food processor when I'm in a hurry and I need a quick paste.

A food processor is handy and is a great motivator to eat more often healthy.