And then I saw the crazy price of pine nuts and a new, more affordable plan emerged.
Sunflower seed pesto!
Sunflower seeds are nice and cheap! I remembered the fantastic walnut pesto that my friend Michaela used on the pizza she made for us when I visited her in Colorado and figured that I could combine sunflower seeds with walnuts and achieve a yummy, less expensive version of pesto.
I know that traditional pesto incorporates parmesan cheese, but we didn’t have any on hand, so if you’re dairy-free this is a pesto sauce you may enjoy as well!
Ryan and I spread the pesto sauce on top of baked cod for dinner this evening and were both blown away. So much flavor!
Sunflower Seed and Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
Directions
- Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until completely combined
- Enjoy with pasta, fish, chicken or as a spread in sandwiches
If you decide to give this pesto a try, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did this evening!
Ooh yum, I love pesto! I usually make a batch when my basil plant needs to be trimmed. I just use walnuts in mine – I will definitely be trying sunflower seeds next time! Sounds and looks delicious.
Stephanie @ Legally Blinde
Wow, that looks seriously good. I never even thought of adding a different nut in there. Shows how much I have to learn in the kitchen!
Sarah
I make “pesto” sauce all the time, except it’s never been the traditional pesto. I make mine with almonds, spinach, and parmesan cheese – 3 items I always have on hand.
I also have plenty of sunflower seeds so I’m def going to add them to the sauce next time! Thanks, Julie!
Min
That looks amazing, I’m craving some pesto now!
Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie
I have a basil plant and have been promising my mom I’d make pesto. I should totally try this.
Beks
Definitely pinning this! I love walnuts & sunflower seeds so I’m sure I’d enjoy this!
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake
this stuff looks great! i LOVE pesto, so i’m sure i’d be an instant fan.
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries
Great job on improvising with the ingredients!! I don’t use pinenuts too much in my pesto or cooking either due to the price. But walnut is always a great way to go! I bet cashew would be great too.
Ellie@Fit for the Soul
This sounds so good, I pinned it!
Elizabeth R
Looks so yummy!!! I want to try making my own pesto.
Joelle (on a pink typewriter)
I love pesto but for some odd reason, it always gives me heartburn. It totally bums me out because it has such a wonderful flavor. Maybe I should try it in tiny doses and work my way up!
Suzanne @ Fit MInded Mom
Whenever someone says pesto, I was think of the FRIENDS episode when Phoebe says “would you say your pesto the best-o?” haha!
Sara @ The Foodie Diaries
Sunflower seed pesto! Yum!
Christina
Just dropping by to let you know I survived your 1000 rep workout haha I was quite excited to see this little gem of a post here… this looks delicious and I will be trying it ASAP! Geez, between my workouts and meal ideas… PB Fingers is becoming one-stop shopping for all of my daily needs!
Taylor @A Taste of Taylor
looks delicious! i made pesto tonight too! its my favorite!
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy
I love pesto and I always enjoy sunflower seeds, so this looks great!
Laurie @ Love, Laugh, Laurie
This is SUCH a great idea!!!
Kaylie
Yummy! That looks great, I get bad headaches from eating almonds or pine nuts so the sunflower seeds would work for me!
Kate
Oooo…this looks particularly good because I was just thinking the other day whether pesto made without cheese would be good. I guess I have my answer.
Marilyn
LOVE the more economical alternative of using sunflower seeds. i usually spend about 10 minutes in the section of my grocery store where they keep all the bulk nuts and wish i could afford to buy pounds and pounds of all of them. this looks delicious and is wallet friendly – double bonus!
molly @heart, sole & cereal
Sounds amazing! I just made a radish greens pesto the other week (http://www.cookwithb.com/radish-greens-pesto-vegan/). It’s axing how versatile pesto is!
Brigitt
That’s definitely supposed to say “it’s amazing how versatile..” commenting on a phone is never easy haha
Brigitt
Wow this looks super! I once made pesto using avocado and it turned out great!
Khushboo
O basil and avocado sounds wonderful! Will have to try it sometime!
Amanda @ Veggies n Dogs
Pesto is one of the greatest things to have on hand. It adds an awesome flavor to any dish, especially pizza!
Amanda @ Veggies n Dogs
I love pesto sauce! I’ve been wanting to make it but sadly pine nuts are super expensive. So I’m definitely going to try this out!
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope
I’m very excited about this! I like pesto a lot and this recipe seems very do-able! I have been getting into making things that I would normally buy premade (for example I’ve finally made my own hummus!) this is right down my alley.. plus I’m pretty sure I have a mason jar full of sunflower seeds going unused.
Alisha
Looks delicious! And great for my bank account, I realized the other day I spend wayyy too much on groceries. But fresh fruit and produce adds up, and I need to keep eating real food. This is a great cost savings swap, I need to keep ideas like this in mind!
Meghan @ After the Ivy League
Yum. I love pesto! My basil plant is out of control, so my boss gifted me pine nuts and I gave her a ton of basil. If you lived close, I’d bring you some.
Rebecca @ Miss Magnolia Munches & Moves
Thanks! Im going to try with almonds too I think. I am lactose intolerant too so this is great!
Laura
I can’t wait to try this! I love sunflower seed, so this sounds awesome
What a clever substitution!
Kristen C
So brilliant, I too don’t make pesto because of the outrageous cost of pine nuts! Now I can try this!
Emily Butler @EmilysHomestead
Just made this! AMAZING
I doubled the recipe for about 3/4 lb. of pasta 
yummm 
Dominique @ CraftfullyCooks