Make Perfect Pesto with These Surprising Herb and Nut Swaps

We would never argue that the combination of basil and pine nuts is anything other than perfect, but it's not the only pesto in town. Try making this quick and easy sauce with endless variations on the classic formula.

First, understand the basics by mastering basil pesto. The formula is basil, pine nuts, fruity olive oil, salty Parmesan, and fiery garlic. Then, change it up by swapping one or all ingredients for an entirely different sauce. Read on to explore our mouthwatering combinations for a twist on pesto.

Swap Basil for Another Herb or Vegetable

The most defining ingredient of pesto is the herb or vegetable that makes up the lion's share of the sauce and provides its vibrant color, flavor, and even the name.

• Herbs: Change up the herbal note in your sauce by using other leafy green herbs for pesto, like parsley, cilantro, or mint instead of, or in conjunction with, basil.
• Vegetables: Instead of herbs, use a vegetable like arugula, kale, beet, carrot, pea, or broccoli as the base for your pesto. Add the vegetables raw or cook them just a bit, making sure to keep them crisp but tender so the pesto has body and does not become puréed. Experiment with our Pea-Pesto Handkerchiefs.

Try Other Nuts or Seeds in Place of Pine Nuts

Replace the traditional pine nuts in pesto with pistachios, cashews, almonds, and walnuts, or even seeds like sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin. Pretty much any edible nut tastes delicious—just make sure to toast and cool the nuts before grinding them into the sauce. Toasting nuts and seeds coaxes out complex nutty flavors that enhance the overall flavor of both the pesto and the nuts.

Branch Out From Olive Oil

Pesto is an oil-based sauce, so olive oil has a big impact on the flavor of the pesto. The sauce is typically made with a mild extra-virgin olive oil that lends fruity flavor without overwhelming the other ingredients. Other than olive oil, any oil in your cabinet is game for pesto, so feel free to use anything you like. Here are other ways to use olive oil or other oils in your pesto:

• If you love bold flavors, drizzle in robust peppery olive oils or combine a touch of a peppery olive oil with more mild varieties.
• Top off the sauce with strong-flavored oils like nut oil or toasted sesame oil—you don't need much to add the flavor.
• Swap out olive oil altogether with a more neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil.
• Replace olive oil with a full-flavored oil like unrefined coconut oil.

Stick with Parmesan Cheese Or Use Other Salty Additions

Another ingredient in classic pesto is a hard, salty, and aged cheese like Parmesan. Here are other salty options:

• Use Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano cheeses instead of Parmesan.
• Swap Parmesan out for other cheeses like an aged Manchego.
• Try this Pull-Apart Cheesy Pesto Bread with mozzarella and Taleggio cheese.
• Skip the dairy altogether and add a touch of a favorite salty, unusual ingredient, like anchovies, capers, or miso. There's a time-honored take on pesto from Sicily that uses both anchovies, capers, and Parmesan and swaps the basil for tomatoes and red bell pepper.

Garlic or Different Spices

Garlic is typically added to pesto. A small raw clove of garlic adds just enough flavor for a whole jar of pesto. Traditional Genovese pesto does not generally contain added acidity or extra spices. But these options could take your pesto to the next level:

• If you don't like raw garlic, skip it or add in roasted garlic to temper the bite.
• Experiment by including finely grated lemon zest, lemon or other citrus juice, or a splash of vinegar. See how it works in this Lemony Pesto Chicken Soup recipe.
• Sprinkle in a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• Add favorite spices like ground cumin, coriander, or fennel, a tiny pinch of ground cloves or ground nutmeg, or a spice mixture like garam masala.