Sorrel and Basil Pesto: Easy use of garden herbs

Sorrel and basil are combined with the popular ingredients of pesto to create a creamy and delicious sauce. Instead of pine nuts, the earthy taste of walnuts are used. This pesto is great for tossing into pasta or spread on bread for a sandwich.

Why Sorrel and Basil? 

As we transition to fall, I feel lucky to make one of my favorite sauces. I could probably eat pesto every day, and my garden is giving me so many fresh ingredients to make pesto before it retires for the winter. The use of sorrel in this recipe pairs well with traditional basil because of it’s lemony flavor that gives it a special brightness.

As a home gardener, sorrel was my favorite addition to our yard this year. It’s a pretty hardy perennial that required very little maintenance. I planted mine in a large bucket because I was pregnant and running low on energy at the time. I plan to transplant it to a more permanent spot in one of my garden beds soon. If you’re a gardener too, here’s a helpful article I found about sorrel.

Here, I tossed together fettuccini noodles, peas and this pesto for a meal. I topped the dish with seasoned breadcrumbs to make it a “pangrattato”.

Mise En Place 

• Sorrel – rinsed, dried and lightly torn
• Basil – rinsed and dried
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan Cheese – grated
• Garlic – lightly chopped
• Walnuts
• Lemon Juice
• Sea Salt

How to make Sorrel and Basil Pesto

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add all of the ingredients.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. If desired, add additional oil and blend until mixture is thinned and the consistency you like.

Tips for making this pesto 

• This recipe makes 3/4 cup of pesto.
•  If you prefer your pesto to be thinner, turn blender back on and slowly dribble in more oil until it reaches the desired consistency. 
• Can’t find walnuts? Try using pine nuts or pecans instead. 

All in All 

I love having a go-to pesto to make right in my own kitchen. The “icing on the cake” is being able to use fresh foods right from my own yard. Pesto can be versatile if you are brave enough to stray away from the traditional ingredients and this recipe was perfect for my taste. I think I need to incorporate this pesto into my Chicken, Spinach and Pesto Lasagna very soon!