almond pesto

Simple, colourful, and delicious! This root vegetable dish featuring carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes is topped with a fresh basil pesto!

Roasted Balsamic Root Vegetables with Basil Almond Pesto

carrots (12 oz),

parsnips (10 oz),

potato

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper,

basil

extra virgin olive oil

tbsp (heaping) roasted almonds (I used 20 almonds)

garlic (two for extra garlic flavour)

lemon juice

For the roasted vegetables. Preheat the oven to...

For the roasted vegetables. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper until well-coated.

Place the vegetables on a baking sheet (lined...

Place the vegetables on a baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil for easy clean-up) in a single layer and then cover the top of the baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Roast for 20 minutes before removing the foil....

Roast for 20 minutes before removing the foil. Give the vegetables a stir and flip, then bake for another 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and tender.

For the pesto. As the vegetables roast, add...

For the pesto. As the vegetables roast, add the basil, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a food processor (or blender ***see third note). Pulse several times, until a paste forms.

With the food processor running, slowly add in...

With the food processor running, slowly add in olive oil until you get your desired consistency. Taste and adjust ingredient amounts according to your preferences.

Put it together. Plate and drizzle the vegetables...

Put it together. Plate and drizzle the vegetables with your desired amount of pesto. Best served immediately.

Whilst the classic pesto alla Genovese is always a winner, we also love to be a bit more experimental when it comes to ingredient combinations. One of our favourite pesto recipes right now is made with almonds and it can involve different herb combinations depending on what you’ve got to hand!

Our Delicious Almond Pesto Recipe

parsley

garlic, crushed

Salt,

If you would like your pesto to have a slightly deeper flavour, you can toast your almonds for this recipe. Alternatively, using blanched almonds will make it easier to blend your pesto if you’re doing this part by hand.

Start by blanching or gently toasting the almonds. To blanch, simply put them in a pan of boiling water for about a minute and then remove and drain them and peel off their skins. 

To toast, place the nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat until fragrant and slightly browned in colour. Be sure to keep them moving to prevent burning, and remove any that do burn before adding to the parsley, as they will give the pesto a burnt flavour.

Put the parsley, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, crushed garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil into a pestle and mortar and grind until creamy. You could also use a food processor or blender for this part, though the texture will be a little smoother.

Add the almonds and grind (or blitz) until they start to break down and combine with the oil and parsley mixture. You end up with a creamy yet slightly chunky consistency.

Drizzle the remaining olive oil and continue to grind until you have a creamy paste. We recommend leaving it a little rustic as this will help it adhere to the pasta.

The pesto is best eaten straight away, but can be kept in clean jars and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

If you think pesto is supposed to be green, think again. Sicilian Pesto (Pesto alla trapanese) is a fresh and lively pesto that will change the way you think about pesto.

Easy and delicious Sicilian Pesto Recipe (Pesto alla trapanese)

Blanched Almonds (- Slivered

Garlic Clove (- Use more if you like)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch of chili flakes (or small fresh chili) (- Optional)

Fresh Basil (- Packed)

Fresh Mint (- Packed)

Cherry tomatoes (- About 3 cups worth)

Salt and Pepper to taste

To your food processor, add almonds, garlic, cheese, extra virgin olive oil and chili if using. Pulse to break up the almonds and combine into a coarse mixture.

Add cherry tomatoes and herbs to your food processor and pulse until you achieve your desired consistency. A little chunky crunch from the almonds is definitely a good thing, but if you prefer a smooth sauce, process further. Taste adjust seasoning.

Top 3 almond pesto recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Roasted Balsamic Root Vegetables wi...

Our Delicious Almond Pesto Recipe

Easy and delicious Sicilian Pesto R...

Top 3 almond pesto recipes from across the web

The most viewed almond pesto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Roasted Balsamic Root Vegetables wi...

Our Delicious Almond Pesto Recipe

Easy and delicious Sicilian Pesto R...

The most viewed almond pesto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine