Rocket and Cashew Pesto is a twist on the classic rocket pesto where we use cashew nuts instead of pine nuts. This easy pesto recipe is versatile and can be used for Rocket Pesto Pasta. Use as a dip, on fish or flat breads!
Dips and spreads are handy recipes that have many uses. Olive Tapenade recipes are good for entertaining as you can use them as a simple topping for bruschetta and crackers. Our Easy Crostini calls for toppings galore!
Pesto is an easy recipe made in the food processor.
Our Artichoke Olive Tapenade, Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade and Easy Green Olive Tapenade are ideas where you can make the recipes to serve or use them to stir through pasta or serve on fish or chicken. For a quick snack pair with homemade pita chips!
Flat breads, pasta sauce, sandwich spreads are perfect ways to use pesto!
Use this pesto as an alternative to the Basil and Cashew Pesto in our Pesto Penne with walnut crumb.
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How do you make pesto from scratch?
Making pesto from scratch is very easy. We combine all of the ingredients in our food processor, blitz to chop and combine, then add lemon juice to taste.
As the rocket leaves have a peppery, somewhat bitter taste, the pesto needs to be tasted after blitzing so we can add enough lemon juice to balance the flavours.
Pesto recipe with pine nuts
The most popular and well known version of pesto is basil pesto.
Basil Pesto is made using fresh basil, pine nuts (which can be toasted or untoasted), garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese.
It is a unique tasting recipe and a great way to use up basil leaves!
Pesto recipe without pine nuts
Pine nuts don't always have to be used in making pestos, another type of nut can be used to create a different pesto recipe from the standard.
As we have done with this recipe, cashews are the substitute for pine-nuts, you can also use walnuts if you like!
For vegan aruguia pesto, use a substitue for the parmesan cheese.
Pesto Uses
There are many ways to serve pesto and here are a few of them:
- stirred through pasta
- dressing for a salad in the Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
- as a pizza sauce
- spread on cooked meats and fish
- on flatbreads
- as a dip
- spread for toast
Substitute it for the cream pasta sauce in the Smoked Salmon Spaghetti for an easy weeknight dinner!
Add a little bacon and whip up the Bacon Pesto Pasta for something different.
Once you make it and store it in the fridge, you will find you want to spread it on EVERYTHING!
Rocket and Cashew ingredients
We use simple, easy to find ingredients for this recipe. The photo below shows you what you need:
As you can see, the recipe calls for:
- rocket leaves
- garlic
- olive oil
- parmesan cheese
- cashews
- lemon juice
The lemon juice doesn't go into the pesto until the very end where we taste the pesto and adjust the flavour!
How to make Rocket Pesto
The photos below are step by step showing you how to make this pesto in the food processor:
- Add rocket leaves to food processor bowl (Photo 1)
- Add parmesan cheese (Photo 2)
- Garlic (Photo 3)
- Cashews (Photo 4)
You can toast the cashews for 3-4 mins in a pan on the stove for an extra depth of flavour!
- Add olive oil (shown in photo 5)
- all ingredients ready to blitz (shown in photo 6)
- blitz for approx 10 seconds to combine (shown in photo 7)
- taste, add lemon juice, blitz again, repeat tasting and continue until pesto is fresh and balanced (shown in photo 8)
You will achieve the perfect flavour through the process of adding the lemon juice at the very end to neutralise any bitterness.
You guys know that I love my before and after shots to show you the cooking process. The photos below show you the pesto ingredients in the food processor ready to be blitzed and after the food processor has blitzed and combined (10 seconds)
Rocket and Cashew pesto recipe quick info
About the recipe:
- we only need 6 ingredients for this recipe!
- bottled lemon juice is fine!
- you can toast the cashews or leave them as it (faster)
- I use roasted unsalted cashews
FAQs about Cashew Rocket Pesto
- this is a vegetarian recipe
- blitz for less than 10 seconds
- you make make the pesto ahead of time
- the pesto will last for 1 week in the fridge
- the recipe makes about 1 cup of pesto
Your quick questions answered
- This is a quick and easy recipe
- Store in the fridge in a sealed jar
- This is a FREEZER FRIENDLY recipe
- This is an EASY recipe
Expert tips
These tips are to help you master this recipe from the 1st time you make it:
- add all of your ingredients to the food processor and blitz at the one time
- keep the blitz time short, it will take less than 10 seconds.
- once the ingredients are blitzed, taste the pesto, then add lemon and combine to get the flavour spot on and not bitter!
- freeze this receipe ahead of timie and defrosted as needed
Use the pesto in place of a traditional tomato based pizza sauce!
Toast pita chips in the oven till brown and use the pesto as a spread for a light lunch.
Dip and spread recipes
For fuss free entertaining try these recipes:
- Chicken Liver Pate
- Easy Green Olive Tapenade
- Grazing Platter (to feed a crowd)
- Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade
- Olive Tapenade
Or for the easiest vegetarian spaghetti try the Arugula Pesto Pasta!
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Rocket and Cashew Pesto
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
Rocket and Cashew Pesto
- 2 cups rocket leaves Note 1
- ½ cup parmesan cheese Note 2
- ½ cup cashew nuts Note 3
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic peeled, end cut
- 1 tbsp lemon juice Note 4
Instructions
Rocket and Cashew Pesto
- Add rocket leaves, parmesan cheese, garlic, cashews and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor. Place the lid on and blitz for less then 10 seconds till chopped and combined.
- Remove lid and taste pesto. Add lemon juice according to taste to balance any bitterness. Blitz for 2-4 seconds again till combined. Repeat till desired taste achieved.
- Store in a sealed jar for up to 1 week in the fridge. Recipe makes 1 cup of rocket and cashew pesto.
Video
Notes
- Note 1 Rocket and arugula are both names for the same thing. Often called rocket in Australia/New Zealand and argula in America and Canada.
- Note 2 I have used both shredded or grated parmesan cheese in homemade pestos. Either work fine. These are the cheese that is in the cold section of the supermarket with the other cheeses, not the pasta variety on the shelf.
- Note 3 I use roasted unsalted cashews
- Note 4 Bottled lemon juice is totally fine to use (and more likley you will have this than a fresh lemon). See the notes where I indicate that we add this at the end to counter any bitter taste from the rocket, taste as you go.
Nutrition
Healthy Pesto recipe
Let me tell you, you will be using this pesto for EVERYTHING!
Yes, store bought is fine, but there is a time and a place. And your kitchen and your crackers are not the time and place for store bought. Try it and you will LOVE the versatility and great flavour.
I've got your pesto needs sorted and your flatbread is covered (haha but true, OMG so good!)
Let me know if you have any questions, I would love to hear your feedback in the comments below.
Adrianne xx
RELATED RECIPES:
Artichoke Olive Tapenade Chicken Liver Pate Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade
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This pesto is so good and so much more affordable to make - I could eat it just off the end of a spoon!
Cheers Jenn, I enjoyed reading your comment.
I love having this recipe on hand! We love it on our pizzas for pizza night and pasta too! So delicious and tasty!
Thanks Beth, great to hear!