Fresh and peppery, this cashew pesto is made with arugula, and basil and packs a flavorful punch. It’s a delicious alternative to the more expensive pine nut pesto with the substitute of cashews for a flavorful and economical recipe! Ready in under 5 minutes!
Summer is here and fresh herbs are in their full glory. There’s nothing like the addition of fresh basil to an Italian dish. It brings such a depth of flavor.
With a ton of basil on hand and leftover arugula in my fridge, I decided to make a simple cashew pesto. Using cashews in place of pine nuts is a much more economical way to make pesto. Pine nuts can be difficult to find at the grocery store and also come with a hefty price tag. Cashews give this pest a nutty and rich flavor. It tastes amazing in my pesto veggie pasta!
Like my many other sauces such as my hearty marinara, vegan chipotle sauce, and bechamel sauce this cashew pesto is vegan-friendly too.
💗 Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Vegan-friendly pesto that tastes great!
- A healthy meal with fresh greens, and healthy fats
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Only takes 5 minutes to make homemade pesto
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Fresh Basil: I try to get organic whenever I can but when I created this recipe, I grabbed basil from my herb garden.
Fresh Arugula: You need 1 cup of fresh arugula. I get organic from the supermarket.
Olive Oil: Use it sparingly as a little goes a long way. I use the least amount necessary to create the dish and have a creamy pesto sauce. It’s on the thicker side, so if you want a thinner sauce, add a bit more olive oil.
Raw Unsalted Cashews: Cashews are an excellent nut to use in pesto when you don’t have pinenuts. You could also use walnuts or even almonds.
Garlic: I like using organic minced garlic from a jar out of convenience. But, fresh minced is the best for flavor. Use either that works for you.
Salt and Pepper: Adds some more flavor to your pesto.
📋 Instructions for Cashew Pesto
Step 1: In a food processor combine the arugula, basil, olive oil, cashews, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend for 1 minute.
Step 2: Remove the lid. Scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula to combine any ingredients that haven’t been incorporated. Secure the lid, and blend for another minute.
Step 3: Stir the pesto into your favorite type of pasta, use it as a spread for sandwiches, crackers, or use as dip.
❓ FAQS
Traditional pesto sauce is not vegan because it usually has parmesan cheese in it. To help make this pesto vegan, we omit the cheese and use some olive oil to bring a creamy factor.
Yes! You can absolutely substitute pinenuts for the cashews or swap for another type of nut you have on hand. I also recommend walnuts.
Yes, if you want to freeze leftover pesto sauce you can. The easiest way is to freeze it in an ice cube tray as little individual servings. Once frozen, pop them out of the tray and store them in a freezer-safe ziptop bag. To thaw later, just remove however many you need and let them thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a few hours.
The best nuts for pesto are those that have a creamy texture. Cashews, pinenuts, and walnut all make excellent pesto. Nuts that aren’t the best are peanut and almonds. Peanuts have such a distinct taste that it takes away from the basil. Almonds are crunchier and don’t blend as well.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
You can make this arugula basil pesto with just basil by doubling the basil amount to 2 cups if you think the arugula will be too peppery for your liking. Or make it a pure arugula pesto with 2 cups of arugula. If you’re looking for a simple basil-only recipe try my basil sauce.
👩🍳 Serving Suggestions
Pasta: Serve with regular pasta, chickpea pasta, lentil pasta, or whole wheat pasta. I enjoy serving it with chickpea or lentil pasta to create a complete meal in one dish since the chickpea pasta has added protein.
Sandwiches: This cashew pesto makes an excellent spread for vegan sandwiches or Mediterranean-inspired wraps.
❄️ Storage
Refrigerator: This recipe is great to add to your vegan meal prep for the week. You can keep your pesto in a jar in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Adding a dash of olive oil to the top of your pesto helps keep the herbs in the pesto nice and wet.
Freezer: Freeze in ice trays, and transfer cubes to a freezer-safe container. The frozen pesto cubes will last for up to 3 months.
💭 Expert Tips for Making Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Make sure you pack the arugula and basil to be sure that you get enough. You don’t want to loosely pack the leaves. You want a full cup of each packed.
- I recommend using raw unsalted cashews. Roasted nuts have added oil and a slightly different flavor profile. This way you have control over the oil and salt you add.
- If you don’t have a food processor you can try making the pesto in a blender, but a food processor will give you the smoothest consistency.
😋 More Vegan Sauce Recipes
If you made this recipe, please comment below and leave a ⭐️ rating. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more family-friendly vegan recipes!
Recipe
Cashew Pesto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 cup arugula
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup raw unsalted cashews
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Combine basil, arugula, olive oil, cashews, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend for about 1 minute.
- Remove the lid. Scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula to combine any ingredients that haven't been incorporated. Secure the lid, and blend for another minute.
- Stir in the pesto with your favorite type of pasta, use as a spread for sandwiches, or crackers, or use as a dip.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you pack the arugula and basil to be sure that you get enough. You don’t want to loosely pack the leaves. You want a full cup of each packed.
- I recommend using raw unsalted cashews. Roasted nuts have added oil and a slightly different flavor profile. This way you have control over the oil and salt you add.
- If you don’t have a food processor you can try making the pesto in a blender, but a food processor will give you the smoothest consistency.
- Keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Jess
When I see and hear pesto… you got my attention. Yum!
Chris Collins
I’m always on the hunt for new pesto recipes, never thought of adding arugula, but definitely will give it a try! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Helen of Fuss Free Flavours
I find vegan pesto is really rather tasty, and you don’t miss the parmesan. So good with pasta and veggies, perfect for a satisfying and easy meal. The fresh flavours of basil are utterly delicious.
Michelle Miller
Lentil pasta is such a great alternative to pasta! Great vegan recipe!
David
Yum! This reminds me for awhile I was often adding arugula to a kale pesto I make, but have gotten away from that. Going to do that again next time I have some arugula on hand!