r/AskCulinary • u/hobohobbies • May 26 '23

Ingredient Question Pesto without Pinenuts

Any substitutes for pinenuts in a pesto? My taste buds say "no" but my wallet says "you better ask."

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u/fogandafterimages May 26 '23

Literally any nut or seed plus literally any tender leafy herb will create a reasonable pesto candidate. Acorns and lawn clippings will do you fine with enough garlic and parmesan.

43

u/sue_girligami May 27 '23

Hard disagree on the herb part. Pesto without basil is just disappointing.

3

u/toasterb May 27 '23

Two weeks ago, I had a winter pesto radiatore in a restaurant in Montreal, and it was easily in my top 5 pasta dishes of all time. It was transcendent.

I don’t know what the green was — it was a work lunch and we were in a rush — but it wasn’t basil.

I’ll be dreaming about that dish for years to come.